


Heal Me, Feel Me

by MoonlightOracle



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety, Avengers Family, Avengers Live Together In The Tower, BAMF Peter Parker, Bisexual Peter Parker, Bullying, Ceiling Vent Clint Barton, Cinnamon Roll Peter Parker, Comfort, Coming Out, Cuddling, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Everyone Loves Peter Parker, Extra Spider Powers, Field Trip, First Kiss, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Insecure Peter Parker, Intern Peter Parker, Internship, LGBTQ Themes, Light Angst, Loki & Peter Parker Friendship, M/M, Magic, Minor Injuries, Minor Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Mutation, Mutual Pining, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Beta Read, Overpowered Boyfriends, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker & Shuri Friendship, Peter Parker Acts Like a Spider, Peter Parker Has a Family, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker's Field Trip to Stark Industries, Peter is Worthy, Peter-centric, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Avengers, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Sensory Overload, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, We Die Like Men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2019-10-15 05:56:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17523161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightOracle/pseuds/MoonlightOracle
Summary: So... Peter may or may not have accidentally gotten himself a Stark Internship? But the thing is, he has to be around Tony and the rest of the Avengers all the time —whilehiding his identity as a certain red and blue spandex clad vigilante. Well, this is just great, isn't it?But of course everything goes to shit eventually. And then a mysterious boy shows up out of nowhere, who has a pair of the most beautiful molten gold eyes that Peter’s ever seen. It almost doesn’t seem human.Wait...





	1. The Announcement

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! This is my first fic, especially in the MCU, so please bear with me if there are any mistakes. Thank you for reading :)

_**Friday, 10th March. Midtown High.**_

 

The late afternoon sunlight pours in through the large classroom windows, bathing the surroundings in a warm orange glow.

 

Peter gnaws on his pen lid, stealing quick glances at the clock on the wall before releasing a deep sigh, propping his chin up on his palm. Loud chatter is feeding in from all directions of the classroom as he bounces his right leg up and down underneath his desk, beginning to grow restless.

 

When he checks the time once more, he expects for at least five minutes to have passed — but no. Only _one_ minute has passed.

 

The 15 year old groans and slumps backwards on his chair, wondering why time has never been less fleeting. What he desperately wishes he could be doing right now is swinging around New York, feeling the cool breeze gliding past his suit, the exhilaration coursing through his veins—

 

"You okay there, dude?" A concerned Ned asks, tapping Peter gently on the shoulder.

 

"Hm? Oh, yeah, it's just—Where the hell is Mr. Harrington?"

 

"No idea," Ned replies, eyes searching for the person in subject. "It's unlike him. Thought he wouldn't want to risk being late to another lesson again after the uprising incident."

 

Peter huffs out a laugh, the recent memory flashing through his mind. "That was so funny, though. His face when he walked in!"

 

"I know right! Wish someone took a picture."

 

The two talk for a while until the door abruptly slams open and Mr. Harrington is casually strolling inside, his facial features adorned with the biggest smile anyone has ever seen him wear. He walks all the way up to his front desk and then stops — giving a singular clap to attract the attention of the students present.

 

Everyone quiets down significantly, slightly cautious, maybe intrigued. Nobody knows if this smile means good things or bad things for them. They can only pray that it's the former.

 

"So, everyone," The teacher starts, his smile widening even more if that's physically possible. "You're probably wondering why I was late."

 

A few hushed whispers begin to circulate around the room in complete confusion — wondering what got their science teacher in such a good mood. It feels particularly unnerving, since Mr. Harrington's usual appearance is a blank, impassive stare on his face. Any display of emotion is a cause of concern. 

 

Someone from the back row of desks replies, "No, not really." Which causes Mr. Harrington to glare at them slightly, but not for long as the cheshire grin overtakes his face again. ...Yep, it’s probably the apocalypse.

 

"I was, in fact, speaking to our principle in regards to a certain email we received a week ago. And in that email, it stated something very interesting," Mr. Harrington drawls out, seemingly trying to prolong the reveal of whatever news he comes bearing.

 

Peter and Ned side-glance each other, thinking about what can possibly be in that email. Michelle appears nonplussed as normal, and only a few people perk up in curiosity. The remaining students look bored out of their poor minds, wanting for Mr. Harrington to just get on with the lesson already.

 

"You see, Midtown High's Science Department entered in a large raffle. We were competing against other prestigious schools nationwide in a game of luck and chance — a game that _we_ just so happened to win. And with winning... we obtain the prize." Mr. Harrington breathes out in excitement.

 

"And what exactly _is_ the prize, Sir?" Flash calls out with a little snark in his voice, obviously getting irritated with his teacher's long speech. Did he really need to be so dramatic? Surely what they won can't be that good?

 

Mr. Harrington rolls his eyes, facing him. "Now now, Flash. I know you're impatient and eager. After all... What we won... Is a full day field trip to Stark Industries!!"

 

As soon as those words leave his lips, a chorus of shocked gasps fill the classroom.

 

Was this real? Were they really going to go on a tour inside Stark Tower? Ned's eyes grow comically wide, and his jaw is practically touching his desk. Everyone's buzzing and vibrating in excitement; well, Peter could swear that he saw MJ's lips twitch up into a smile for a brief second. Flash just looks haughty as he crosses his arms, chin held up high, giving off the impression that he had seen this coming a long time ago. 

 

Peter... Peter is amazed. Ecstatic. But... also nervous.

 

Considering what the media deemed as the 'Civil War' that happened a while back due to the Sokovia Accords, he's scared of his identity getting out. He knows the rogue Avengers had been pardoned and everyone got back together again, but going to the place where they all lived?

 

Uhh, yeah, he doesn't think so. That's a risk he isn't exactly up for taking. Peter doesn't want to accidentally expose himself as a certain red and blue spandex clad vigilante, especially after Ned, MJ and Aunt May found out by accident. He was definitely getting sloppy with hiding his alias.

 

With Ned, well... we all know how that went. Peter crawling on the ceiling, Ned dropping the lego death star, it was pretty hard to come up with an excuse for why Peter wasn't Spider-Man when Ned had _clearly_ seen him crawling on the ceiling. It was the most obvious thing ever, so when Peter blatantly lied about it, he received Ned's sarcastic 'Really?' gaze and the whole situation became outright ridiculous.

 

So, with a heavy sigh from Peter, Ned was let in on the secret and subsequently went on to become Spidey's Guy In The Chair, helping Peter out on numerous missions and patrols through the comm in the new Spider-Man suit they built together. It's much better than his old one which were basically pyjamas. This one has different functions, protocols, and over a hundred different web combinations, and even had its own _AI_ , which Peter had named Karen.

 

Aunt May had walked in on him wearing his new suit. It was totally by accident — Peter was too absorbed in checking out all the various features of his suit that he didn't hear May walking to the door. After that, he was scolded for the entire evening and was interrogated on how he got his powers, why he decided to become Spider-Man, and a few tears were shed...

 

But in the end, May had given him rules to abide by to make sure he was safe and sound and got home on time. While Peter cringed at his new midnight curfew, knowing that he would never get the same sort of freedom again (aka staying out until 4am and going to school with panda eyes), he was happy that May had accepted him wholeheartedly and still even let him be Spider-Man at all.

 

MJ, on the other hand, had nonchalantly walked up to Peter and Ned one morning and said, "Sup losers, rough patrol last night, huh? I saw the news. You guys did a decent job at saving those people. Good going." They just stood there frozen, with stupid shocked expressions on their faces and had only snapped out of it when Michelle slammed her locker shut. She smirked in amusement as Peter and Ned stuttered for a full minute, figuring out how to reply back.

 

Apparently, she'd overheard their numerous conversations, but only confirmed her suspicions when she saw Peter discreetly making a weird web-looking substance in a conical flask during chemistry one time. The second time, he'd snuck out of a lesson, and came back sporting a massive bruise on his cheek that just happened to be the same place a villain had struck Spider-Man that day, as she saw on the news when she went home. Not to mention that it had almost completely faded when she saw Peter the next day. It wasn't hard for someone as observant as Michelle to put two and two together.

 

The three of them became much closer and hung out more often. Peter was so grateful to have support from his two best friends and only living family member. He couldn't be any happier.

 

Mr. Harrington gazes around the room, satisfied with the reactions he'd produced. "Now, don't go bragging about this. We're lucky that we are the ones who get to go. There are many other classes in our Science Department, but since I am the leader of the Academic Decathlon Team, the other teachers agreed to let my science class students be the ones to go." He grinned.

 

Peter blinks, shaking off his daydream. Where is he? Oh right, the field trip. To _Stark Tower_. Where all the Avengers _live_. God, who is he kidding? He is definitely screwed. If MJ had found out, it would probably take less than a few seconds for highly trained spies to figure him out. He's just praying that they wouldn't. He sighs loudly, causing Ned and MJ to glimpse at him in concern, unaware of his predicament.

 

"Dude, this is going to be amazing!! I can't believe we get to go inside Stark Tower!! Do you think we'll get to see the Avengers? Oh man, this is insane," Ned squeals, beaming in delight.

 

Peter couldn't help but smile, seeing Ned overflowing with positive energy always put him and Michelle in a good mood. But one part of what he said stood out to him.

 

_"Do you think we'll get to see the Avengers?"_

 

Damn, he's so stupid! Peter was overthinking and got worked up over nothing. Of course, there's no guarantee that he'll even _see_ the Avengers, let alone interact with them. After all, why would Earth's mightiest heroes, who surely had much better things to do like saving the city, meet a group of hyperactive high-school kids?

 

So Peter has nothing to worry about. He's safe. Even if he did bump into them, he'd just avoid them. It would be easy.

 

Right?


	2. The Field Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your lovely comments on the first chapter!! I didn’t expect to get such positive and overwhelming feedback. You guys are awesome <3

“Aunt May, I’m home!” Peter calls out into the small apartment as he slips off his worn-down blue converse by the front door, clutching a piece of paper in one hand. The air inside is warm and homely, and Peter could feel his tense body relaxing already.

 

School can be a pain. No, a _real_ pain. With so many people cooped up in one building, talking and laughing, Peter’s senses would sometimes go into overdrive and suddenly he was aware of every single breath in the room and every click of the pen from the girl on the back row and the annoying metallic humming of the lights above him that somehow seem to be getting brighter and it would just be _so goddamn awful—_

 

“Peter, could you help me with this—oh, what’s that in your hand, honey? A letter from school? Speaking of school, how was it today?” May asks, her head poking out of the kitchen door.

 

“It’s a permission slip for a field trip happening next Friday,” Peter replies, dropping his backpack on the floor as he collapses dramatically onto the couch. He’s so glad it’s finally the weekend, as no school means more time for his arachnid activities. “And school was okay. Just the usual.”

 

May walks forward, planting herself next to Peter on the couch as he sits up. “A field trip? You haven’t had one of those in a while. Where’s it to? Here, let me sign it,” She takes the slip from Peter’s hand, pushing her glasses up her nose as she carefully reads over the details.

 

“Stark Industries.” He smiles, leaning closer to his aunt. Her expression morphs into one of surprise, and she mouths an incredulous ‘Oh, wow’.

 

After May signed the paper, Peter helped her cook some lasagne in the kitchen for them to eat later on, and then went to the dining table to finish off any extra work he had. From experience, Peter had learned to stop leaving his weekend homework to the last minute and instead is now accustomed to doing it all straight away on Friday night, so he had Saturday and Sunday free to do whatever he wanted. Well, that and mainly because he was tired of teachers telling him off whenever he came to lessons with scruffy, unreadable homework that he completed on the way to school (by using web swinging as a means of quick transportation, not that anybody else knows that though). 

 

Once he was finished with the last of his chemistry, he goes into his room and opens up his closet to reveal his Spider-Man suit hung up neatly on a hanger. There was no reason to hide it anymore ever since May found out. He grabs onto it hastily and takes off his clothes, easing his body into the familiar spandex before slicking his curly brown hair back and pulling the mask over his face.

 

 **Hello, Peter.** Karen announces in a warm voice. Well, as warm as the voice of an AI can get.

 

“Hey, Karen.” Peter grins. He’d finally adjusted to having Karen with him every time he wore his suit. For the first few weeks, he’d always jump whenever she greeted him, but now, they interacted perfectly and he can't remember what patrols used to be like without her.

 

Just as Peter was about to open the window and make a quick exit into the cool, early summer air, he could hear a faint yell from May, “Make sure you come home for dinner!”

 

* * *

 

**_Friday, 17th March. Midtown High._**

 

Peter arrives at the school campus, spotting an overly excited Ned waving to him from a crowd of people.

 

He doesn’t know how it happened, but the weekend went past within a blink of an eye and suddenly it was Friday again, the day of the field trip. Where did the rest of the weekdays go?

 

“Ahhh, dude!! This trip is going to be so awesome!! I’ve always wanted to have a look inside their high tech labs,” Ned exclaims as he initiates their friendship handshake.

 

MJ comes up from behind them, seemingly out of nowhere. “Come on you nerds, Mr. Harrington’s taking the register.”

 

The trio head towards a large yellow bus, where the rest of their classmates were waiting, surrounding a very frustrated teacher. Mr. Harrington is standing there beside the door, an exasperated expression on his face as his hands flap around, holding what Peter assumes to be are the permission slips, in the air.

 

“Come on, come on! Hurry up and get in a line so we board the bus. We can’t be late! Anyone who has just arrived, please turn in your permission slips, otherwise, you can’t go!” He yells, anxious to get all these rowdy teens inside the transportation quickly so that they could be on their way.

 

Before Peter could hand his slip over to Mr. Harrington after Ned had just got on, Flash pushes past him roughly so that he could enter the bus first. “Sup, Penis Parker.” He laughs, the edges of his lips turning up into a devilish smile. If it weren’t for Peter’s super strength, he would be sprawled out on the floor right now.

 

“That was unnecessary.” Peter grumbles underneath his breath, hoping that Flash didn’t hear, but when has anything ever gone Peter’s way? It’s all his stupid Parker luck’s fault.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” He mocks. “I forgot that you were coming on this trip too. You know, it’s hard to believe that you even go to this school considering you’re stupid as hell. You definitely cheated your way into that scholarship, Penis.”

 

“Really, Flash? That’s the best you could come up with? ‘Stupid as hell’, please take your elementary school insults somewhere else. I’m losing brain cells just listening to you speak.” Michelle spits, irritated with Flash’s blatant display of hatred towards Peter.

 

Flash’s eyebrows scrunch up in anger, and he was about to retort with a nasty comment until a stern voice interrupts, “Flash! Get on the bus, you’re blocking the entryway!” Mr. Harrington scolds. He scoffs but ultimately obeys his teacher’s command, not before sending a sharp glare in Peter’s direction.

 

Peter sighs, giving a thankful gaze to Michelle. “Thanks, MJ.” He smiles.

 

“It’s whatever, loser.” She replies impassively, but a hint of affection is evident in her tone.

 

They board the bus and see Ned sitting with two spaces beside him on the front row, away from all the loud noises, music and chatter that usually occur at the back of the bus. Ned glances at Peter with a knowing look. He had taken his super hearing into consideration! God, Peter felt so grateful that he could cry. Of course, he’d still be able to hear everything that was going on clearly, but at least it wouldn’t be right beside his ear. That would deafen him for sure.

 

“What took so long?” Ned asks while Peter and Michelle get comfortable in their seats. 

 

“Flash.” Michelle says simply, as if his name explains everything. It does.

 

* * *

 

The second the bus parked, Mr. Harrington ushered out all of the students into the large lobby of Stark Tower. Everyone had wide sparkling eyes and shocked slack-jaws, in complete awe of their surroundings. The seating area had sleek, black sofas and interestingly shaped chairs as well as glass coffee tables with a few plants scattered around here and there. The ceiling was high, letting fresh air to ventilate through and the walls were lined with marble grey panels that had flickering lights on them. Basically, everything looked fancy, modern and high-tech.

 

“Hello there, Midtown High, I presume?” A voice sounds from behind the group, and all the teenagers turn around to face a long, brunette haired lady with bright green eyes. She seemed friendly and kind.

 

“Yes, I’m sorry if we’re late,” Mr. Harrington says, heading towards her. “I’m Mr. Harrington.” He smiles, flashing his white teeth.

 

“Ah, of course, Mr. Harrington! No, you’ve all arrived in perfect timing. My name is Rosie Waters, and I’ll be your tour guide for today.” She goes off to the front desk to collect a bunch of lanyards with access passes on them and walks back to the students.

 

“I welcome you all to Stark Tower, also known as Avengers Tower, the main base of Stark Industries. Now, please gather round to receive a lanyard.” Rosie begins handing out the access passes, until a student speaks up.

 

“What do the colours and numbers on the passes mean?” As soon as the question is asked, the class begin murmuring in curiosity.

 

“Well, there are three different colours of access passes, and they represent either Alpha, Beta or Gamma. The first colour we have is burgundy, which corresponds to Gamma,” Rosie points to everyone’s passes. “You all have Gamma level 2. This is for tour groups, such as yourselves, other guests and certain reporters.”

 

Rosie starts walking towards a metal gate with a scanner on the side, but still continues her explanation. The teenagers and Mr. Harrington follow after her. “Gamma level 1 is for low level workers and new interns. The second colour, navy, represents Beta. Beta level 2 workers are usually the higher level interns, like myself.” Rosie grabs onto her shiny deep blue pass, holding it up for everyone to see.

 

“Beta level 1 is for the more professional staff and our top scientists. For the last colour, black, this means Alpha. Alpha level 2 is for the Avengers and Tony Stark’s personal bodyguard and Head of Security, Happy Hogan. And occasionally other acquaintances and associates of said persons, including the Black Panther, Ant Man and the sorts. Level 1 is for the CEO, Pepper Potts, and Tony Stark only.” She finishes perfectly, as if she knew all of this knowledge like the back of her hand.

 

“Oh, you guys can take home these passes and keep them as souvenirs, if you’d like. We allow this since they deactivate at the end of the day, rendering them completely useless.” Rosie thoughtfully mentions. “Now, please follow my actions exactly!”

 

She scans her pass on the side of the gate, and a robotic female voice echoes throughout the lobby. **“Rosie Waters, Beta level 2. Intern. No suspicious items detected.”** The metal gate opens up, allowing Rosie to walk through before closing shut once more.

 

“Woah, what was that?” Flash utters in amazement.

 

Before Rosie could answer, FRIDAY interrupts, **“I am FRIDAY, Tony Stark’s AI. My systems are integrated throughout all of Stark Tower. Nice to meet you, Midtown High School of Science.”** She greets.

 

Everyone gasps, and numerous ‘wow’s’ travel around. Ned nudges Peter’s side, eyes glistening in pure excitement. “Dude, an AI!”

 

Peter snorts, quietly whispering, “Ned, we created an AI too, remember? You helped code her.” Then, he lets out an exaggerated scandalous gasp, looking at his best friend with a pout. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about her already!”

 

Ned rolls his eyes lightheartedly at Peter’s antics. “Course I haven’t, idiot. They’re just so cool, y’know? Still can’t get over the fact that we built one _ourselves_.” Peter hums in agreement. 

 

The group of students line up beside the gate, eager to pass through. Obviously Flash is the first one to go after Rosie.

 

 **“Eugene ‘Flash’ Thompson, Gamma level 2. No suspicious items detected.”** FRIDAY speaks up.

 

Flash’s eyes light up, and he grins smugly. Everyone proceeds to scan their passes, going through the gate before entering a large elevator after Rosie. Some of them jump in surprise once FRIDAY speaks up again, **“To the R &D department on floor 25, Miss Waters?”**

 

“Yes please, FRIDAY.” She replies happily, softly chuckling at the teens who were surprised by the AI’s sudden reappearance. It took awhile for her to get used to FRIDAY too, and her reaction back then is exactly the same as these students now. 

 

“Oh right, I might not have mentioned this, but the different colour passes also determine the areas you can access, and what areas are restricted. For example—”

 

* * *

 

After the tour group had wandered around the R&D Department labs for a bit, looking at all the experiments and projects the low level interns were working on, it was finally lunch time. The elevator dinged, signalling that they had arrived on the 30th floor, where the central food court was located.

 

Rosie brought everyone inside and told them that they could eat whatever they want without paying, as expense paid food came with the package of their free tour to Stark Industries. She’d left the group, saying that they had an hour and a half to eat and relax before she’d return and continue with the tour.

 

Peter, Ned and Michelle found a cozy table in the corner of the spacious room that was overlooking the New York skyline and sat down, their stomachs reminding them of just how hungry they’d grown. _Especially_ Peter with his enhanced metabolism. MJ had a bowl of spaghetti, Ned had a club sandwich and both had 2 slices of pizza that they discreetly handed over to Peter so that he could eat them. After all, he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, as a 15-year-old with a large stack of pizza on his plate big enough to feed an army might get some questioning gazes so he asked MJ and Ned to carry some for him.

 

Everything had been going smoothly so far for Peter. Flash wasn’t annoying him as much, since he had been too busy admiring the labs. Well, everyone was. And there were no Avengers in sight. Perfect. He thought about how ridiculous he had been, stressing out over coming here. Peter chuckled to himself internally.

 

But then, Peter’s ears twitched, and he caught himself unintentionally eavesdropping on a conversation taking place across the other side of the room.

 

“Ugh, what are we going to do? We’ve been stuck on this project for ages. No one else in our department has been able to do anything either and the due date is tomorrow! What will the chief say?” An uneasy male voice spoke.

 

“I don’t know, Ethan! That stupid robot won’t stop making that god awful buzzing noise and can’t even execute the actions we programmed it to do properly,” Another voice replies, exhaustion distinct in her tone. “We really need to sort this out. By tonight.”

 

“By tonight? Kayla, the answer won’t just magically appear in front of us after 2 weeks of nothing!”

 

“Well what do you expect us to do then? Hand in our incomplete, failure of a project and possibly lose our internship? I don’t think so!” The girl, Kayla, whisper-shouts. Before the pair got into an argument, Peter had unknowingly walked over to their table and suddenly found himself staring at them. They stare back.

 

“Umm... Can we help you?” Kayla speaks up in confusion.

 

Peter shuffles on his feet, glancing back to where Ned and MJ were. They were watching him wonderingly.

 

“W-well, I’m really sorry but I couldn’t help but overhear that you have… some issues with your robot?” Peter says shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. How did he get into this position? All his brain did was think, ‘Oh, maybe I can help,’ and then it’s as if his feet had a mind of their own and put him on auto-pilot, directing him here.

 

Kayla glares at him apprehensively. “Yeesss….we do. And what’s it to you?”

 

Nervous, Peter stutters out, “Umm, I-I was thinking maybe I could help you out? If you let me have a look? Not that you have to! Or anything! You know what, you’re probably busy and won’t have time—”

 

“Sure!” Ethan smiles, making Kayla look at him accusingly.

 

“You idiot! We can’t bring some random kid into the upper level labs with us!” She growls.

 

“Look, we need to try everything we’ve given right now, okay? Who knows, maybe this kid could actually help a little. If not, it won’t hurt, and we’ll just bring him right back down here!” He says defensively. Kayla’s face is flushed red in frustration, but she calms down soon enough. She studies Peter for a full minute with her icy blue eyes, contemplation clear on her features.

 

“Where did you even come from anyway?” She remarks rudely.

 

“Uhh, I’m here for a field trip.”

 

“Huh. Who’s your tour guide?”

 

“Miss Waters.” Peter replies, getting incredibly uncomfortable underneath Kayla’s scrutinising gaze.

 

“Rosie?” The pair of interns say in unison.

 

“...Yes?”

 

“Okay.” Kayla answers, taking a quick sip of her water.

 

“Okay?” Peter repeats as if he were an adorable lost parrot.

 

“ _Okay_ , I’ll let you take a look at our robot. Now let’s go before I change my mind.” She announces, standing up abruptly. “When does your tour continue?”

 

“In an hour or so.”

 

“Great. Then we have plenty of time.” She smiles coldly. God, this woman reminds Peter of a tiger.

 

Peter and Ethan follow her into the elevator, but not before he waves to MJ and Ned, mouthing ‘I’ll be back!’

 

* * *

 

Kayla and Ethan look over Peter’s shoulder (they learned his name after an awkward elevator conversation), seeing a line of coding that he was gesturing to. “You guys left this out. Oh, and this isn’t supposed to be here. And over there, that function isn’t written correctly—” Peter mutters, listing out every flaw he found.

 

“Holy shit!” Ethan exclaims. “I didn’t know that our coding was riddled with so many errors!” He stares at Peter in shock, since not even the other people in their department were able to point out this many flaws. Heck, they weren't able to do anything _at all_.

 

Kayla glimpses at Peter as he adds something to the seemingly confusing scramble of letters and numbers. “Wait, what are you doing?” She asks.

 

“Oh, just adding a loop here so that the robot executes the action more smoothly and doesn’t stop halfway through. Also, you might want to change the material of the robot as to stop it from overheating, which in turn would allow you to get rid of the internal fan. You placed it in the wrong position, that’s why it was making so much noise,” He replies nonchalantly, as if it was common knowledge. “Oh, and we might need to rewire this and connect it to the input over there…” Peter fiddles around on the inside of the open panel at the back of a large, cone-shaped robot.

 

Kayla remembered how she’d interacted with Peter when they first met, and guilt slowly ebbed away at her insides. She was snarky and plain rude, and knew that she shouldn’t have let out her anger on him. But, how was Kayla supposed to know that this kid is an actual genius?

 

“I underestimated you, Peter. I honestly thought that you’d be no help; but then you go ahead and fix our _whole_ damn project for us—I, I can’t thank you enough. You’re a godsend.” A genuine smile blooms on Kayla’s face, and Peter smiles back. “Heh, I guess you were wrong, Ethan, the answer did magically appear in front of us—” 

 

Suddenly, a loud yell draws the three out of their bubble.

 

“What’s going on here? Kayla, Ethan! Care to explain why there is a literal child in our top level labs?”

 

The two interns immediately turn around and straighten their backs, looking back and forth at each other anxiously. Peter is quite slow on the uptake (and too absorbed in fixing the robot) and only stands up once Ethan kicks him gently in the leg.

 

“Chief Evans, we—we were only just letting Peter help us with something…” Ethan speaks out timidly, but Mr. Evans ignores his reason and begins scolding them.

 

“He is _not_ allowed to be on this level—”

 

“What’s the ruckus? Is something wrong?” An all too familiar voice supplies. Everyone looks towards the source of the sound and comes face to face with the famous genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist, Tony Stark in all his glory. 

 

“T-Tony Stark, Sir! What brings you to our labs?” The chief asks nervously.

 

“Just wanted to take a stroll and see what everyone is up to, is all.” Tony gives him his signature smile, eyes inspecting the place until they lock onto on a particular teenager. Peter freezes up. _Dammit_ , this is exactly what he _didn’t_ want to happen.

 

“I didn’t know we hired high schoolers?” He questions. 

 

The chief clears his throat. “We—we don’t, Sir.”

 

“Then what is this kiddie doing here?” 

 

Kayla took the opportunity to explain what happened. “You see, Sir, my colleague and I were having difficulties with the assistant robot we built. It wasn’t functioning properly, and we were frustrated since no one else in our department could solve the problem. However, Peter here,” She places her hand proudly on Peter’s shoulder. “Corrected all of the errors in our coding in an instant, fixed major technical issues and even enhanced some physical features of the robot, making it work more efficiently.”

 

“Oh really now?” Tony says, a glint of amazement in his eyes as if he were impressed. _No way, THE Tony Stark, impressed with boring old Peter? No way, no way—_  “What did you say earlier? That we didn’t hire high schoolers?”

 

Mr. Evans stammers, “Um, yes—” 

 

“Well we do now. This one in particular,” He cuts off the chief, stepping closer to Peter. “You doing anything tomorrow?”

 

“N-no—” Peter tries to speak, but he’s cut off too.

 

“Perfect. I’ll have Happy pick you up from your house tomorrow morning.”

 

“E-excuse me?” Peter responds, completely baffled by the series of events that have just taken place.

 

Tony grins widely. “You’re an intern now, kid.”

 

…

 

_What?_

 


	3. Operation: Protégé

**_A few moments earlier_.** 

 

**“Boss, a Gamma Level 2 Guest has been detected entering the upper-level labs.”**

 

Tony set down his 6th cup of coffee of the day and sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He sat alone in an empty conference room, feet up on the glass table and his black, dress jacket hung loosely over his chair. He’d finally finished a meeting that Pepper forced him to attend.

 

“Who are they and what are they doing? FRI, why didn’t you stop them from going up the elevator in the first place and had to tell me this instead?”

 

**“The guest, identified as 15-year-old Peter Parker, was accompanied by Kayla and Ethan, the new college graduate interns Ms. Potts hired."**

 

“Where’d that kid get a guest pass from?”

 

**“He is on a field trip here, Boss.”**

 

“Ah right, I forgot that was happening today. So that means he’s from the school that won the raffle. He must be clever then, huh?” An unrecognisable emotion flickered across Tony’s face, and his lips twitched into a smirk so small you’d only notice it if you were looking close enough.

 

 **“Indeed. Scholarship to the highly regarded Midtown High School of Science and Technology. Straight A’s in every class resulting in a 4.0 GPA, as well as a member of the National Academic Decathlon team,”** FRIDAY intoned.

 

 **“He is a very talented individual with many capabilities for his age…”** Her sentence faded out as if she were expecting Tony to say something.

 

“Hmmm,” Tony hummed in contemplation, rubbing his chin. “You know what, I’m bored. Let’s go on a stroll. I also need to escape this room quickly before Pepper finds me and drags me into another meeting.” He childishly kicked his feet off the glass table and back onto the ground, snatching his jacket before swinging it over his shoulder in one fluid motion.

 

* * *

 

Tony wandered around, a plan in his head. He knew what he was going to do to see if this Peter Parker was potential intern material. Frankly, he was getting fed up because the people he hired to scout for new SI interns were picking the rotten apples of the lot. Yes, they were smart and had their prospects, but they all had major flaws to them. Flaws that he couldn’t simply overlook. 

 

A while back, he was forwarded the information files of several chosen applicants that were claimed as special and needed Tony’s personal attention. So Pepper had set up a time and place so he could meet each person individually. However, most of them were stuck-up and arrogant, with the idea in their heads that they were entitled to everything. Manners didn’t exist to them, and they only pretended to be polite and friendly to the interviewers just so they could worm their way inside the company and work their way up the ranks to earn a reputation. So it was inevitable that when Tony finally met them… he saw right through their perfectly devised facade.

 

For example, the first young male adult he met up with that was fresh out of college had seemed promising, but as soon as he left the room, FRIDAY showed Tony surveillance footage of him bragging to his friends on the phone as he went down the elevator. He mentioned... not _quite_ so nice things, implying how he’s only here to get a better reputation and whatnot. Tony doesn’t really remember, since he tuned everything out after the first thirty seconds of the video.

 

Now, he doesn’t like condescending try-hard leeches like him because they irritated Tony immensely. So he was immediately crossed off the list. Tony knew he was being petty, but hey, the college kid wasn’t all that likeable anyway. He wouldn’t be able to work with someone like him even if his life depended on it. 

 

He met up with the rest of the applicants in different tests and scenarios, and to his disappointment yet expectation, they were all the same as the last.

 

One girl was appallingly egotistical, so much so that Tony thought he would go deaf from the sheer amount of how much she talked highly about herself and her numerous achievements, which he’s pretty sure she exaggerated most of. That other girl who was put in a group project was too bossy, instructing others do the work for her and ultimately contributing 0% to the project personally. And the last boy was obnoxiously rude and prideful, never admitting when he was wrong about something, especially when he misplaced a live wire that caused his project to go up in an explosion of sparks, yet continued to say everything was going according to plan. It was horrifically obvious that it wasn’t, and the boy didn’t know what he was doing at all.

 

The one that really pissed him off was the person that pretended to like working with science and technology, when in reality, they absolutely loathed it. Tony could tell in the way their eyebrows slightly twitched in distaste when he talked to them about it. Why even bother getting a job in his company then, if you can’t stand being in this sort of environment? Is it really all just for the ‘status’ of working at Stark Industries?

 

Tony couldn’t understand what was going on in their minds. Why couldn’t he find at least one good person in this whole batch? He hated these sort of confusing pretentious brats that got on his nerves.

 

God, the whole ordeal was disastrous. It gave Tony a headache.

 

That’s why he no longer trusted his hired scouts, as their judgement was completely different to his. He knew he’d have to do the recruiting himself if he wanted someone truly good, someone he could actually get along with.

 

After the incident in Siberia... Tony had to rethink a lot of things. And by a lot of things, he meant _everything_. He knows he won’t live forever. The images of Steve almost killing him still haunt him, even if they are on friendly terms with each other now. While Pepper would definitely lead the company if he... died, but what if something happened to her too? Tony knows he can’t rely on Pepper for every single thing. Briefly, the topic of having kids was brought up... Tony _wants_ a kid, he really does. But there’s a fear coiling around in his insides. A fear that he would turn out the same as Howard.

 

Tony sighs inwardly. 

 

He knows, _knows_ that things with Pep — his darling sweetheart, the light of his life, could never go back to the way they used to be. Both of them were too different. Yes, they had been through thick and thin, to hell and back with each other, _for_ each other, but it took a long break after the ‘Civil War’ for Tony to come to the realisation that he prefers Pepper more as a friend.

 

His fondness for the woman was something that bloomed from her decades of loyalty and unwavering support, something that was platonic and out of pure friendship and frankly he couldn’t risk moulding it into romance, as it didn’t _have_ to be. Tony didn’t have to be romantically involved with Pepper just to keep her by his side. What Pepper needs is stability in a relationship, and Tony knows he’ll never be able to give her that, not when he’s risking his life all the time as Iron Man. Her being there for him, along with Rhodey and Happy, is more than enough. More than he could ever ask for.

 

And — somehow, it was as if Pepper knew everything Tony was thinking about, as they came to a precious, mutual understanding and decided it would be better to stay as best friends.

 

The fight also opened up many of the Avenger’s eyes, and they realised just how little communication they have between each other. They needed to fix that, and once they finally talked things out like they should’ve done in the beginning instead of heading straight into a blown-up war, they gradually grew closer. Interactions became more prevalent in their team relationship, and through that they were able to gain a better understanding of one another’s perceptions and views on different situations. Let’s just say that after the whole thing blew over, there was less jumping to conclusions and less doing things on impulse. 

 

At this moment in time, Tony needed a protégé. Someone he could teach and train, someone to be the heir to his company and keep it standing when he’s long gone. 

 

That was the real purpose of this whole ‘finding new interns’ thing. While yes, he was looking for an actual intern, but at the same time, looking for a person he could personally mentor. 

 

Sighing again, he shook his head. Someone like that would be incredibly hard to find because Tony has no tolerance for people if they didn’t match well with him. This person not only needed to be compatible with him, but with the rest of the Avengers, as well. And so far, his efforts had been fruitless. He was slowly giving up hope of finding anyone at all.

 

Although FRIDAY seemed particularly interested in Peter, so of course he’s going to meet him and see what he’s all about.

 

* * *

 

As soon as Tony turned the corner, he heard the annoying voice of that chief he despised. He wasn’t fond of him because Evans believed he had all the authority just because he was promoted to chief, and even slightly abusing his newly gained power. Yet another unlikeable human had slipped past his defences and into his company. Tony took a mental note to tell Pepper about him later and get him fired.

 

“Chief Evans, we—we were only just letting Peter help us with something…” Ethan’s small voice is heard, but Evans interrupted. 

 

“He is _not_ allowed to be on this level—”

 

Right, time for an intervention. “What’s the ruckus? Is something wrong?” Tony spoke up.

 

“Tony Stark, Sir! Ahah, w-what brings you down to our labs?” Mr. Evans asked nervously, sweat beading down his forehead.

 

“What, am I not allowed to walk around in my own building?” Tony laughed. “Just wanted to take a stroll and see what everyone is up to, is all.” he replied coolly, beady eyes looking around for a particular somebody. 

 

And then he saw him. A bright, doe eyed, brown haired kid standing anxiously between those two college interns he forgot the names of. Peter looked so innocent. God, Tony could already tell that this was an intelligent, studious kid from his appearance. But anything about him personality wise? He wasn’t sure about that just yet. 

 

“I didn’t know we hired high-schoolers?” Tony questioned Erik intimidatingly, pretending he knew nothing of the situation before-hand. Of course he knew that his company didn’t hire high-schoolers, Tony only said that to watch the man squirm underneath his piercing gaze. It left him feeling deeply satisfied.

 

“We-we don’t, Sir.”

 

Tony glanced over at Peter, who was staring at him dumbfoundedly. “Then what is this kiddie doing here?” 

 

Thinking about it now, he still doesn’t know why Peter came here in the first place. But thankfully, Kayla had explained everything to him, and Tony’s eyes gleamed with hope. This kid really was exceptionally talented. Gifted. To see multiple coding errors in an instant within a large chunk of text, and make the robot work more efficiently when no one else could even figure out the issue in the beginning? Peter was hired on the spot, and Tony secretly smiled to himself.

 

Maybe he would find a protégé after all?

 


	4. Only You, Peter

“Right, so I’ve put Happy’s number inside your phone,” Tony says as he stands beside Peter who is fidgeting nervously in the elevator. THE Tony Stark is escorting him back to his tour group. What even is his life right now? Earlier, when Mr. Stark told Peter he was now an intern, they exchanged some contact details between each other and had an... interesting conversation, let’s just say, that was nothing short of violent stuttering (from Peter) and awkward eye contact. It’s unclear how long they actually talked for.

 

“—and he will text or call you when he’s outside your apartment tomorrow morning.”

 

“O-oh, okay,” Peter squeaks out. He squints his eyes in disbelievement, feeling the overwhelming urge to pinch himself to see if he’s dreaming or not. Surely this really can’t be happening? Right? _Right?_ He only wanted to help those interns, and then somehow Tony appeared out of nowhere at that exact time and place and gave him an internship on the spot. Peter’s pretty confident that this isn’t how things are supposed to work. And plus, anyone could’ve helped out with that robot, but it just happened to be _him_.

 

He doesn’t deserve to be an intern at the famous Stark Industries for doing something so miniscule. There are other people in this world that are better suited for this position more than him — hell, he’s pretty sure he’s not even _allowed_ to be an intern here considering he isn’t 18 yet and hasn’t graduated high-school — which brings him to the fact that he doesn’t have any qualifications, either! Everybody knows that you have to be at _least_ a college grad to have any hope of getting into the company.

 

Just what is going on?

 

While Peter was wallowing in confusion and uncertainty, the elevator door opened up to reveal a congregation of students in the middle of the cafeteria, shuffling about on their feet impatiently as if waiting for something. Or someone — which is _Peter_. Shit. He’s late. How long was he up there for? Everyone’s questioning eyes turn to him as he tries to makes a beeline for Ned and Michelle, who are also gazing at him in curiosity.

 

“Peter! Where on _Earth_ have you bee—” Mr. Harrington storms towards him, but abruptly stops in his tracks the moment he realises who Peter is with and his eyes widen in shock. Rosie, the tour guide, is not far behind the crowd, looking at the time on her phone restlessly until she peeks in the direction of the commotion. Surprise envelopes her face and she glances back and forth between Peter and Tony in mild interest.

 

“Oh my god, you’re T-Tony Stark! Um, what—why is Peter with—what?” The teacher is at loss for words as he stands there flabbergasted, gaping like a fish. 

 

Tony gives him his sweet, billion dollar smile. “Ah, Apologies, Mr...”

 

“Mr. Harrington,” He gasps out weakly, still unable to comprehend the fact that he’s talking to a genius engineer who’s also the worldwide famous Iron Man.

 

“...Mr. Barrington. Peter was with me. But I’ve brought him back now, so you can continue on with your tour. I’d love to show you all around myself,” Tony says, glancing at the sparkly-eyed teenagers. “...However unfortunately, I have some business I need to attend to. Have a good time, kiddies.” Tony pats Peter on the back and gently pushes him towards his classmates, including... an extremely irritated looking Flash. Oh God, he’s not going to let this go. Flash is going to get riled up and start picking on Peter again, hounding him on where he’s been and what he’s been doing and _why oh why he was with Tony fucking Stark—_

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah kid?” Tony’s voice drags Peter out of his lamenting.

 

“Yeah, Mr. Stark,” Peter replies, feeling a bit light-headed.

 

“Good.” Tony walks off to God knows where, but probably somewhere important, Peter thinks, because Mr. Stark is a busy man running a multi-billion dollar company, so he doesn’t have time to be dawdling around surely. Mr. Harrington watches him go too, a giant grin on his face that just screams ‘holy shit I talked to a celebrity even though he said my name wrong!’ All of the students are openly staring at Peter and whispering amongst each other, unaware of the fact that he can clearly hear every single word.

 

_‘...Did that just happen?’_

 

_‘Yeah, how did Peter meet Tony Stark?’_

 

_‘I saw him leave with some other people earlier...’_

 

_‘Guys, I think he did something…’_

 

Peter frowns lightly. He’s hating all of the attention. Ned runs up to him with MJ trailing close behind and amazement is plastered all over his features, blissfully oblivious to Peter’s sudden change in mood. “PETER! What the hell, dude, _dude!!_ When you left with those two people I never expected you to come back with—”

 

But before Ned could finish his sentence, a fuming, red-faced Flash forcefully shoves him out of the way so he could get all up in Peter’s personal space.

 

“How’d you do it, Parker? Huh? How’d you meet Tony Stark? You’re pathetic, so why would he pay attention to a worthless nobody like you?”

 

Peter’s wondering the same thing, honestly. He exhales deeply, unsure of what to say but thankfully Rosie speaks up, saving him the trouble of having to reply back.

 

“Okay okay, now that everyone is finally together, we can get going and finish up this tour. We only have a few places left to go. Has everyone still got their passes?” She inquires, and after a few people scuffle about, reaching into their pockets and bags for the item in question, the crowd of students nod their heads.

 

* * *

 

After Tony left the cafeteria, his phone rings loudly in his pocket. He checks the caller ID and grunts helplessly, composing himself for a solid minute before pressing answer call.

 

“Tony! Where are you? You have a meeting that’s starting in 5 minutes!!” Pepper berates, her stressed voice echoing through the speakers.

 

“But Pep! I’ve already had _two_ meetings this morning,” Tony whines exasperatedly, like a child complaining when not getting their own way. “And that’s two too many! I have other important things I need to do!”

 

“Oh, like what? Please enlighten me. You think holding yourself up in your lab for days on end with only coffee to sustain yourself is important? Tony, I know you’re upset about not being able to find—”

 

“I think there might be some hope left, Pep. This kid, Peter Parker, I met him today after FRIDAY told me about him and he’s the sweetest kid I’ve ever met. He’s really smart too,” Tony smiles, remembering the awkward nerdy mess of a human that is Peter. “I want him to be my intern. I… He might be the one.”

 

“Tony… Are, are you sure? About him? I know that you’re tired of searching, but I don’t want you to settle for—”

 

Tony interrupts Pepper again. “No, I know what I’m doing, and I know how important this is. And I feel like this is it. _He_ is it. Happy is bringing him in tomorrow. And then I can test him, see if he’s truly suitable for the ‘job’ or not. It’ll be fine.”

 

“Well… okay, if you say so—wait, how old is he?”

 

“...15.”

 

“Tony! He’s still in high school!”

 

“It’s fine, high school interns aren’t unheard of!”

 

“Yes, but _Stark Industries_ taking in high school interns is unheard of. We usually only take in college graduates and anyone else with qualifications.” Pepper chides.

 

“You just have to meet him yourself, Pep. And then you’ll understand.”

 

The other side of the line is quiet for a while, until a long exhale is heard. “Okay. I trust you. But you’re still coming to this meeting. Now get your ass up here.”

 

“ _Damn_ it.”

 

* * *

 

Peter takes his key out of his jacket, slipping it into the lock on his front door. After a few twists and turns, he’s eventually inside his cozy apartment, and the layer of uneasiness that was smothering him before practically oozes off his body like a snake shedding it’s dead skin. A content yet exhausted sigh escapes Peter’s lips.

 

“Baby, what’s the matter? Was the trip okay? You didn’t get bitten by another radioactive spider, did you?” May walks into the room and jokes, but concern is etched on her face.

 

Peter laughed tiredly, rolling his eyes. “No, not this time. And yeah, the trip was great, Aunt May. I had a great time looking at all the labs, projects and experiments the scientists were working on,” he says monotonously. “But something happened that kinda ruined my mood.”

 

May swiftly approaches Peter, wrapping her arms around him in a tight, loving hug before pulling away and leaving a quick peck on his cheek. “Oh no. What happened?”

 

“Wellllll.....” Peter begins, looking at her doubtfully. “Basically, I... met Mr. Stark. And he wants me to intern for him. And I’m also getting picked up by his bodyguard to go back to the tower… Tomorrow.”

 

May gasps quizzically. “Peter, that’s… is this what you’re upset about? Does anyone else know about it?”

 

“No one knows about the internship yet, and it’s not that, it was just the attention that was brought onto me when Mr. Stark and I talked. Everyone was there. My classmates were all whispering about me and... assuming things. I didn’t like it.”

 

“Oh, honey,” May looks at Peter sympathetically, stroking his unruly brown curls. He’s sat down on the sofa while May is stood up, so he’s in the perfect position to lean his head on her stomach. “I can’t believe Tony Stark decided to make you an intern,” She smiles affectionately. “I knew someone would see all the potential and talent that’s inside of you one day, it was only a matter of time. But you? Catching the eyes of someone like _him_? Never doubted it for a second. How did it happen?”

 

“I kinda helped these two college graduate interns with a project they were working on. They were stuck, and no one else could figure out what was wrong so I stepped in and… I fixed it? And then Mr. Stark found out and hired me on the spot.” He explains. May gives a hearty chuckle, the skin around her eyes crinkling slightly.

 

“Only you, Peter, only you.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this chapter came out quite messily. I didn’t like it so I rewrote it a few times... but this is what I ended up with eventually. I hope it’s decent enough, though! I love you guys so much, since you’re all so supportive <3 And don’t worry, Peter will meet the Avengers in the next chapter and things will finally get exciting ;)


	5. Meeting The Avengers

_**Saturday, 18th March. Parker Residence.**_

 

Peter’s old and battered phone buzzes rapidly in his sweaty palm, making him jolt and almost throw the device halfway across his bedroom. Thank God for his sticky fingers and fast reflexes, otherwise his phone wouldn’t just be a shattered screen anymore, but an obliterated shamble of broken pieces on the carpet. He doesn’t know how it’s been able to endure for this long, if he’s being honest. Not when it’s knocking around inside his bag all time — and _especially_ when he’s out and about as Spider-Man. Peter made a mental note to invest in a proper protective phone case one day.

 

“I’m outside. Hurry up or we’ll get stuck in traffic.” a gruff voice, which Peter recognises as Happy, commands through the mobile.

 

“Oh, right, okay. I’m just on my way out! I’ll be there in a sec.” Quickly examining his appearance in the mirror and satisfied that he looked decent enough, Peter inspects his room one last time to make sure he didn’t leave anything behind. What is he supposed to bring anyway?

 

The blue backpack he slumps carelessly over his shoulder contains his wallet, a spare hoodie, a lined notebook with a few pens and _his suit_ , obviously. He couldn’t leave without it. And yes, he knows how risky it is to have it with him when he’s in Stark Tower, but it’s hidden in a zipped up compartment on the inside of his bag, concealed away from lingering eyes.

 

So it’s all good. Also, not forgetting the item detection scanners within the Tower that he read some research about — luckily for Peter, when the suit is offline and on passive mode, it only appears as normal fabric and thus shouldn’t be detected as a suspicious item.

 

After all, he had the suit with him on the field trip and nothing caught him out, which meant everything was working accordingly.

 

Peter stumbles a bit as he rushes to the front door, practically radiating anxiety. May had already left earlier in the morning for work, so she left him a message that wrote, _‘Morning, baby, I hope you have a great time at Stark Tower! You make me so proud! I’ll be home at 8, it’s a long shift today. The leftovers from last night are on the top shelf in the fridge, and money is on the counter if you want to order some more food. Hugs and kisses, May xx’_

 

He shuts the door behind him and gracefully jumps down 4 flights of stairs in an instant, before walking out of the building and seeing a fancy black car parked conspicuously by the sidewalk. The passenger side window rolls down and Happy Hogan is there, motioning for Peter to get in. Once inside and strapped in, his body vibrates in the plush seat that was made out of expensive leather, unable to stay still. He becomes jittery when nervous.

 

“Stop moving, kid. You’re shaking the car.” Happy grumbles, glaring at peter through the rear-view mirror.

 

“Oh, sorry!”

 

* * *

 

After an awkward car journey that was Peter trying to make small talk but failing miserably, they finally arrived at the Tower.

 

“Ah, Pete, you’re here!” Tony beams, approaching them from a distance. He is wearing black trousers and a dark grey button-up, and is overall looking just as smart and pristine as he did yesterday. Tony’s aura reeks of business and professionalism.

 

He stops beside Peter and firmly grips his shoulder, displaying a mischievous grin. “So, for your first day, I kinda wanted to show you around a bit more. I’m going to take you to see all the places that you weren’t able to visit when you were here on your tour,” Tony says, leading Peter away somewhere with Happy trailing close behind. “ _Including_ my personal lab.”

 

Peter gapes in astonishment. _Woah, really?_ He’s excited, but then confused — and his mind backtracks for a moment. ...Did new interns always get to see Mr. Stark’s lab? 

 

“Do all interns get to see your lab when they first join?” Peter asks timidly.

 

“Hmm? Course not. It’s called a personal lab for a reason. That place is my sanctuary. I’m letting you see it since you’re my personal intern, not just any old one. And that will also be where you will work most of the time. Beside me.” Tony replies.

 

Uhhh… What? Since when did Peter become Tony Stark’s _personal_ intern? He didn’t even know that position existed!

 

“Wha—Why—How?” Peter’s stuttering (that Tony secretly thinks is endearing, not that he’ll ever mention it though) arose again, and bafflement flourishes all over his face, making him look like a confused puppy.

 

“Well, I originally meant for you to be an average intern, where you work with others in a lab doing projects and experiments,” He begins his explanation. “But then some news came up. You know how FRIDAY can see and hear anything and everything that goes on inside this building right?” Tony questions suddenly.

 

“Ummm… I do now?”

 

“Yeah. So I had her pull up some footage of you helping out those college interns with their robot yesterday, and I’ve got to say, you’ve really impressed me, kid. To detect those errors so quickly; that’s quite the discerning eye you’ve got. Not to mention, fixing faulty structural issues and rewiring the circuit—practically ingenious.”

 

Peter blushes slightly, surprised by the compliment. It’s not everyday that a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist praises your talent, however Peter is still conflicted. Not because he’s Spider-Man, but he feels like he doesn’t deserve this. “Thank you… but umm, I’m sure anyone else could’ve done the same thing, so I’m not sure why you picked me—”

 

“Ah ah ah, now that’s where you’re wrong, kiddie. That stuff should’ve been way above your level, but you dealt with it like it was elementary school work to you. Not even the other interns who are five years and more older than you could figure it out. And also, FRIDAY told me something quite interesting,” he pauses, side-glancing at the curly-haired brunette.

 

“...Apparently she heard a conversation of yours. And it mentioned an AI that you built with a friend?” Tony comments nonchalantly.

 

Peter freezes, his brain short-circuiting. What the hell? He swore that he only whispered about Karen once with Ned when they were in the lobby, but how was FRIDAY able to pick that up? There were tons of other people there that were talking too! Damn, he needed to be more careful. “Uhhh… Yeah. I did.”

 

“That’s quite a feat for someone your age, but it does go to show just how intelligent you are, Pete. So don’t keep doubting yourself.”

 

The teenager momentarily forgets how to speak. Where were these sudden words of support coming from? ...Had Tony known that he’d been feeling awkward about being here?

 

“Bring your AI with you next time if you can? I want to meet them, and so does FRIDAY. Pretty sure that’s the only reason why she brought it up honestly.” He huffs, lips quirking up into a small smile.

 

“S-sure, okay.”

 

Well, shit. This is going to stress Peter out. Karen’s system is only integrated within the suit, so Peter needed to find a way to move her into another device that he could bring in instead. Not that it would be hard for him, of course. He can’t just show up in his Spider-Man outfit and be all like, “Hey so this is Karen, the AI inside my suit!”

 

Unaware of Peter’s internal dilemma, Tony mutters a soft curse underneath his breath as he realises something, drawing Peter out of his mind. “Kid, I kinda sprung all of this on you without asking for your thoughts. Sorry ‘bout that… Are you okay with it? Being my intern?” Tony questions, and for a moment Peter sees some sort of concern swim in his eyes, though he could be imagining it.

 

Peter desperately wants to say no, to say, “Sorry, but the more I hang around you the more risk there is of me accidentally exposing my secret identity to you so I can’t be your intern, ahaha,” But for some goddamn reason his mouth responds with “Y-yes, I’d be really grateful if you’d have me as your intern, Mr. Stark!”

 

What the hell is wrong with him?

 

Peter mentally facepalms so hard that he almost enters another dimension.

 

* * *

 

After wandering around the Tower together with Tony showing Peter around enthusiastically, (gaining the numerous confusing stares of employees) they were now both on his private elevator going up to the top floor where he said his personal lab was situated.

 

Peter had never been more delighted in his entire life. Everything seemed so surreal. He was just some random ordinary kid from Queens, _despite the fact that he’s a vigilante_ , so it was hard to truly believe that he’s here.

 

But the moment he steps out of the elevator with a hop in his step and a giddy grin plastered over his face, ready to see all the wonders inside Mr. Stark’s lab, he abruptly skids to a halt, and all the colour is drained from his skin in an instant.

 

There, in the large common room that Peter has just walked into, are the freaking _Avengers_ , staring at him with calculating eyes. _Oh, fuck._ He completely forgot about them.

 

Peter gulps, making an attempt to walk backwards out of the room slowly (which totally didn’t look suspicious at all), until Tony slings his arm around his shoulders and forces him further forwards.

 

Captain America, _THE_ Captain America stands up from his position on the couch and heads towards the duo. “Who’s this, Tony?” He asks.

 

“Capsicle, team, meet Peter Parker, my personal intern,” Tony announces proudly, his eyes sparkling with an emotion Peter couldn’t recognise. “You’ll be seeing a lot of him from today onwards.”

 

Captain America smiles softly, and Peter thinks that he resembles a golden retriever. “I see. It’s nice to meet you, son.”

 

“I-It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. C-Captain America Sir!”

 

“Please, call me Steve Rogers.” he holds his hand out for Peter to shake, and Peter does so incredibly nervously. He’s hoping that the man won’t feel the sweat on his palm. Everyone else in the room is still looking at him, and he fidgets underneath everyone’s gaze.

 

“Since when did you have a personal intern?” Black Widow, _Oh my God it’s Black Widow_ , breaks the silence, sitting on a stool by a marble countertop.

 

“Since yesterday,” Tony supplies. “Pete, meet these assholes who are also known as the Avengers.” he points to the couch, and the people sat there take it as their cue to introduce themselves. Steve tuts disapprovingly at what Tony called them.

 

“Hiya, kid. I’m Sam Wilson.” The Falcon waves.

 

“And I’m James Barnes, good to see you.”

 

As if on cue, the vent rattles, and Peter looks up worryingly. Suddenly a loud bang resonates throughout the room as the vent door comes falling down and someone crawls out of the shaft, landing on the floor gracefully before placing the vent door back on. _What the—_

 

“Oooo who’s this?” Hawkeye questions, casually strolling up to Peter and examining him.

 

“U-uhh I’m, I’m Peter, Peter Parker, Sir.” He cringes at how awkward he sounds.

 

“Aww you got a cute one, Stark. You can call me Clint, bud.” He grins playfully, walking off to join Black Widow by the counter. She hasn’t actually introduced herself yet. It takes a few more moments of silence and staring at Peter for her to finally speak up.

 

“Natasha Romanoff.” She simply states, twirling the beverage in her hand carelessly. Nothing more and nothing less is said.

 

Tony clears his throat. “Right, now that we’re all acquainted, let’s go to my lab. We’ll stop by Brucie’s lab on the way.” he leads Peter off into a hallway, and Peter is still able to feel Natasha’s piercing gaze on his back. “Thor is offworld currently and Wanda and Vision are out somewhere together. You’ll see them on Monday.”

 

Peter might faint.

 

Oh god, meeting Dr. Banner would be an _absolute_ dream. He would die happy.

 

After a few minutes walk, because Jesus, the Avengers living quarters are practically a maze, Tony and Peter enter a large lab, like, _extremely_ large, and within the middle of it is a man with his back hunched over, looking at a computer. The screen displays something that appear to be DNA strands.

 

“Brucie bear, I’ve got someone for you to meet~” Tony sing-songs.

 

The man on the chair turns around, and his eyes meet Peter’s. Yep, he’s definitely gonna faint.

 

“Oh, hello,” He greets with a soft voice. “I’m Bruce Banner, It’s nice to meet you…”

 

“P-Peter Parker.”

 

“Peter.”

 

“He’s my personal intern, so he’ll be in and out of my lab. He’s super smart, aren’t ya kid?” Tony teases, making Peter’s cheeks glow a beautiful shade of pink. The two older men chuckle slightly.

 

“I-I’ve just got to say this, but Dr. Banner, I’m really a big fan of yours.” Peter mentions, embarrassedly clutching onto his backpack straps.

 

Bruce pauses, and then smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Ah, thank you. But unfortunately I can’t just bring the big guy out, as much as I’d know you’d love to see him—”

 

“Oh no, I didn’t mean the Hulk, Sir, not that he’s not great, he _totally_ is, b-but umm… I meant that I’m a big fan of _you_. I’ve read all your works and research papers and the one on gamma radiation is so utterly brilliant, y-you’re simply one of the most renowned scientists of our generation and i-its such an honour to meet you.” Peter rambles.

 

Dr. Banner stares at the teenager in shock, and awe gleams in his eyes. He smiles again, but this time it’s wholly genuine. “Thank you, Peter.” He says appreciatively, reaching out to quickly ruffle Peter’s curls. This kid has immediately charmed him. “You’re a good kid. If you ever need me, let me know.”

 

* * *

 

As soon the pair left the room, Natasha speaks.

 

“That kid is hiding something.”

 

Everyone’s heads turn to her, eyebrows raised.

 

“He’s a teenager, Nat. Of course he’s going to hide things.” Clint snorts.

 

“No, it just doesn’t seem right. His body language... He was too nervous to see us.”

 

“But aren’t all kids nervous to meet us? I mean, we are the Avengers after all.” Sam moves from his cozy spot on the sofa to join Nat and Clint, interested in what Natasha has to say. "Maybe you're overthinking it?"

 

“No... like I said, _too_ nervous. Unnaturally so.” Nat’s jaw tenses slightly, and she stands up, swiftly leaving the room.

 

The rest of the Avengers are sat in silence, left to think about Natasha’s words.

 

* * *

 

Peter lies wide awake in his bed, unable to sleep. Who would after all that’s happened today?

 

How come he ended up meeting all the people that he specifically said he _didn’t_ want to meet? The Gods must be spiting him right now, and laughing at his misery. This has got to be one massive joke. To anyone else, they would be honoured and overjoyed to be acquainted with the Avengers, and sure, Peter definitely was, but there are also reasons _why_ he didn’t want to get close to them in the first place. 

 

One of them is that he’s a vigilante who’s not even an adult yet. How would they react if they realised that Spidey was a 15 year old kid all along? Probably tell him to go home to his aunt or something, and say ‘leave the fighting to the adults’. Screw that.

 

Peter also has this thing called _priorities_. And they are, namely, May, Ned and MJ.

 

He has to keep them safe, at all costs. He just can’t risk endangering them. If his identity ever gets out, he would become a liability and their lives could be used against him. 

 

Peter would never let that happen. 

 

The teenager sighs, curling up into his soft duvet cover. He’ll just have to roll with it. Whatever happens, happens. No point in stressing about it now.

 

But still, the more Peter ponders, the more crazy this whole situation seems. His Parker luck really screwed him over _hard_ this time. When he said that the Avengers were people to be avoided, he ends up falling straight into their laps.

 

Great.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ughh it’s quite difficult to write the Avengers in their personalities lol, so I hope I did okay :)


	6. Back At School

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, so the next chapter should be up within an hour or so. I just need to finish off some editing. Enjoy this one in the meantime though! Love you <3

_**Monday, 20th March. Parker Residence.**  _ 

 

The early, spring sunlight filters in through the slightly open window that Peter forgot to shut last night, illuminating his peaceful sleeping form as a gentle breeze rustles through the deep blue curtains. Scattered all over his small bedroom is an assortment of dirty clothes, lego’s and random sheets of school work here and there. 

 

Peter usually tries to make an effort to keep his room somewhat presentable, since there’s this quote he found online somewhere that states, ‘A clean room makes a clean mind,’ (and mainly because of Aunt May’s nagging) however it does get hard to tidy up when his brain is barely able to function on 2-3 hours of sleep every night. Yeah, he’s mostly to blame for that.

 

Ever since... homecoming, a few months ago, Peter often found himself having sleepless nights. Whether it was because his body wouldn’t physically let him or because he simply refused to in order to avoid the uncontrollable terrors that accompanied it, he would either do some more science work for extra credit or take on his role as your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man to keep himself occupied.

 

But then everything went south when May found out Peter wasn’t getting enough sleep. It was just a normal afternoon at school one day and the bell for lunch had finally rung — all of the rowdy students came strutting out of their classrooms and into the hall, chattering endlessly.

 

And well… Peter’s hearing and sight is extremely sensitive when he’s tired. Every slam of a door and every footstep sounded like a bomb going off and the ceiling lights felt like thousands of needles were poking out his eyeballs even though he was squinting; and quite frankly, it didn’t take long for him to go into a sensory overload and drag his poor, sleep deprived body to the toilets. Michelle and Ned followed suit, concern rolling off them in waves as they’d noticed beforehand the dark circle’s underneath Peter’s eyes and his slightly paler complexion.

 

They were pretty angry to learn that Peter hadn’t been taking proper care of himself but their worry for him out weighed the anger. Michelle fussed about, calling him ‘reckless’ and how he’s giving her ‘grey hairs’ meanwhile Ned just sat beside Peter and stroked his trembling back comfortingly until Peter was able to gain back most of his bearings.

 

They both knew some of the things that he had gone through as Spider-Man — but it was to an extent. They didn’t have knowledge of every detail, even the most important one. _The one where Peter was crushed underneath a building and almost died, all alone._ He intentionally left that bit out when he was explaining the events of homecoming, and made it seem like taking down the Vulture was an easy feat when that was far from the truth.

 

After all, Spider-Man isn’t supposed to be weak.

 

It took awhile for the school nurse to come since she was busy patching up three students who got into a fight but once she arrived and saw the miserable state of Peter curled up on the dirty floor, she immediately called his guardian which of course is none other than May.

 

And the sheer force of May’s worrying absolutely cannot be reckoned with. Honestly, that woman could turn it into a superpower of some sort and use it to power all of New York. Superior Mother Hen would definitely be her alias name.

 

May stormed through the school halls, anxious to get to Peter’s side as quickly as possible and the moment she spotted him she almost teared up. They both left promptly and when they arrived at home, May sat him down on the sofa and enveloped him in the tightest hug they’d ever been in since ages.

 

“Peter, baby, why couldn’t you confide in me?” May questioned, holding Peter’s warm cheeks in her palms. Her face is scrunched up in overwhelming concern for her only beloved nephew.

 

“A-Aunt May, I’m so sor—”

 

“Oh none of that, now. You don’t need to apologise to me. I just want to know why you couldn’t tell me you were struggling, honey... You only go into sensory overloads when everything is too much or when something is wrong. I knew something was up, and I asked if you were okay last week, but you only said that it was exams stressing you out and nothing more. You said that you were getting better. I shouldn’t have taken your word, I should’ve seen it, I should’ve noticed that you weren’t getting better but _worse_ , oh God, what kind of Aunt am I? I’m so sorry, Peter.” May lamented and rested her forehead on Peter’s shoulder, feeling like she’d failed him.

 

Peter bit down on his tongue as salty tears pricked his eyes. He never wanted this to happen. He took hold of May’s slender hands and held them gently, looking straight at her.

 

“May, I should’ve told you. Please don’t blame yourself, please. It’s not your fault in any way, if anything, it’s mine. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry. But I should’ve learned after you found out that I was Spider-Man that not telling you something would only make you worry more.” His voice cracked and his bottom lip was quivering. He’s feeling extremely, utterly guilty for causing May, Ned and Michelle so much grief. They didn’t deserve it, not one bit.

 

He neglected his self-care since it didn’t really matter to him, but he just didn’t realise that it mattered to them, too.

 

But thankfully last night was one of the good ones that he hasn’t had in a long time — as soon as Peter climbed in through the window after an exhausting yet successful patrol and stripped from his sweaty suit, he fell flat on his face into the comfy pillow and crashed. Blissful, dreamless sleep overtook him for 5 full hours. He’d never been more appreciative.

 

Things were getting better for real now, he hoped.

 

Peter slowly stirs awake as his body soaks up the warmth of the golden sun rays, and he stretches his limbs like a cat before dazedly sitting up on his bed. He takes a deep breath in, and wonders how the fresh morning air can be so rejuvenating. Well, as fresh as the air can possibly be in this part of Queens that is. He couldn’t wait until summer. It was another day… Wait — another day. Which meant it was _Monday_. Peter glances at the time, and it reads: 

 

8:15AM MONDAY 20TH MARCH

 

“Urghhhhh…” Groaning, he grumpily shoves the duvet covers onto the floor, dry lips poised in a pout. School can screw off.

 

* * *

 

Peter grabs his thick calculus textbook from his locker and shoves it into his backpack hurriedly, wanting to get to class early before his classmates start hounding him. He hears faint footsteps from behind that gradually get closer and closer, until a familiar voice is heard.

 

“Peter, dude. What the hell happened on Friday? You’re telling me everything today. You blanked me and MJ all weekend and even left our texts on seen! I can’t believe you, bro.” Ned wails dramatically, closing Peter’s locker for him. They both begin walking to their first lesson.

 

“Ahh, Ned, I’m sorry I didn’t reply to you. I totally didn’t mean to, I was just so busy with—well, b-busy with Mr. Stark.” He peeks at Ned, gauging his reaction. And to no surprise, Ned’s eyes are blown wide open and his jaw is catching flies.

 

It takes a few long seconds for Ned to gather his thoughts and vocalise them. “Peter. _Peter._ Are you insinuating that you met up with _Tony Stark_ over the weekend? Oh my God.”

 

“Yeah, that’s exactly what happened… and, umm, it wasn’t just any casual meeting… I err—he kinda asked me to be his personal intern?”

 

Ned wobbled on his feet, clutching onto Peter’s shoulder to stop himself from falling. “I officially, and I mean truly, _officially_ have the coolest best friend ever. Spider-Man _and_ an intern at Stark Industries? But not just any old intern, Mr. Stark’s _personal_ one? Oh man, your life just keeps on getting crazier and crazier. I didn’t even know Mr. Stark _had_ personal interns.”

 

Peter chuckles as both of them sit down in their respective seats and take out their books. “Neither did I. I still can’t believe it happened. It’s a lot to wrap my head around… especially now that I can’t patrol after school as often as I used to. Mr. Stark set up a schedule for me that says I come round to the Tower on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays after lessons finish and I leave around 7ish — I think it fits well considering May doesn’t come home until late anyway.” He explains.

 

“Shit, this is actually real, isn’t it?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Did you meet the Avengers?”

 

“Yep.” 

 

“They don’t know you’re Spider-Man, do they?”

 

“Nope.”

 

Ned stares at Peter in pure amazement, but then sighs. “ _Dude_ , I can't believe you’re hiding right underneath their noses. You met the freaking Avengers, please _please_ introduce me one day, you have to since it’s part of the privileges I get for being your best friend and guy in the chair.”

 

Suddenly, Peter feels a book gently slap the top of his head. “What happened over the weekend that made you _oh so busy_ that you couldn’t even text us, huh Spidey?” MJ asks as she pulls up a chair beside them.

 

“Basically, you know the field trip on Friday where Peter met Mr. Stark? Apparently he asked him to be his personal intern. Oh, and he also met the Avengers,” Ned exclaims. “The freaking _Avengers_ , man.” he mutters under his breath, still trying to process the information.

 

“Yeah yeah this might be amazing and all but they don’t know I’m Spider-Man. And considering the way you guys found out, which was _accidentally_ , I’m scared I might give myself away to them like that too. That’s my biggest concern here.” Peter speaks up glumly.

 

“Oh you definitely will. You’re such a clutz.”

 

“Wow, thanks for the reassurance, MJ.”

 

“You’re welcome.” She smirks. 

 

A snicker is heard behind the trio, and they turn around to see Flash with his goons staring at them mockingly. They walk forwards and Flash is focusing all of his attention on Peter. 

 

“Hey Penis, are you finally ready to admit to that pathetic stunt you pulled on the Friday?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Peter deflects. He really didn’t want to deal with Eugene right now, or ever as a matter of fact.

 

“Don’t play dumb with me, Parker. What did you do to get Tony Stark to talk to you, hmm?” Flash aggressively kicks the leg of Peter’s chair, causing it to shake. “Probably something _illegal_ , I’ll bet.”

 

“Go sit down in your seat, Flash. The lesson is going to start soon.” Michelle orders sharply, distaste clear in her tone. As much as she wants to yell at Flash for being such a dick to Peter all of the time, she does have a reputation to uphold as the leader of their Decathlon team. It’s unsettling and unfair how easily Flash could get them in trouble since he has parents that get him out of everything, which was unknowingly teaching him that whatever he does will bring him no consequences.

 

“You can’t tell me what to d—”

 

Mrs. Green interrupts Flash, yelling at him. “Flash Thompson, sit down right now! Class has begun!” 

 

MJ smiles coldly, tilting her head. “Told you so.”  

 

”Whatever.” Flash storms off, growling in anger.

 

* * *

 

Peter stares at himself in the toilet mirror, washing his hands and threading them through his unruly brown curls. He strokes the bottom of his wrist absentmindedly.

 

But then his nape is tingling and suddenly there’s a hand around his throat — he’s easily pushed up against the wall as though he only weighs a feather. Which he sort of does. One of the affects of the spider bite was lower bone density, making him too light to be considered normal.

 

Confusion flickers through Flash’s eyes for a moment but not for long until they’re replaced with anger again. Logic and rationality doesn’t seem to exist to him when he’s worked up.

 

“Tch. It’s finally just us. I was getting irritated with snarky Michelle and fatty always being with you, but you’re all alone now.”

 

_All alone._

 

The hand around his neck tightens, and yet Peter stays as still as the dead. There’d be no point in struggling. Just let Flash do what he wants and get it over and done with, Peter reminds himself. Can’t lose control. Can’t _hurt_ him.

 

“You’re such a burden, Parker. You know that? No one truly likes you, they’re just pretending to. They only talk to you because they pity you.” 

 

Peter breathes in deeply.

 

“After all, dead parents? Such a shame.”

 

Don’t.

 

“Who are you left with? Your aunt and uncle- oh wait, it’s just your aunt now, isn’t it? I forgot that you watched your uncle die—”

 

_Please._

 

“Poor Aunt May must be so stressed. Having to clean up your mess, having to look after the wreck of a person you are.”

 

That’s not true. It isn’t. ...Is it? 

 

”Seriously, Parker. You’re the worst charity case there is. You’re _worthless_.” 

 

Flash says more horrible things, but Peter tunes them out. The pressure around his neck is no longer there and he finds himself dropping like a limp body to the cold, tiled floor.

 

Flash went up and left like the wind. He did his ranting and let it out on Peter, and then discarded him like a filthy tissue in the end. Just the usual. Even though Flash was being particularly… nevermind. He doesn’t want to dwell on it any longer.

 

Peter goes around school with a hollow expression on his face for the rest of the day.

 


	7. A Wreck, A Mess

Peter climbs to the top of a building, sitting on the ledge and dangling his legs carelessly off the side, kicking them back and forth. His thoughts go back to today’s events at school and he lets out a long breath as he gazes at the skyline. Vibrant orange and red hues paint the sky and Peter can hear the faint honking of cars from the heavy afternoon traffic below.

 

He decided to swing to the tower instead of go there by public transportation, as it was more efficient and faster and it was also a way of stress relief. A few police sirens are blaring in the distance, and they seem to be inching closer. Peter frowns.

 

“Karen, any troubles nearby? I might as well help since I’m already here.” He asks his AI.

 

**Yes, there is, Peter. But I advise you not to partake in it due to your above average heart rate and blood pressure. If you enter a stressful situation right now, there are high chances of you potentially  inducing a—**

 

“I’m fine, Karen. _I’m fine_. People need me. Please tell me where and what’s happening.”

 

The AI is silent for moment, and then audibly sighs. Peter is too stubborn, and she knows from previous experience kept in her database that Peter wouldn’t give something up once he’s set his mind to it.

 

**A few streets away, in an antique store next to the communal library. There is a hostage situation. 5 civilians are trapped within the building and there are 3 perpetrators, all armed with hand guns.**

 

“Shit.” Peter immediately shoots a web, swinging off to the destination. When he turns the corner, he catches sight of helicopters coming in from overhead and 5 or 6 police cars parked beside the curb, blocking off the entire road. There are news reporters and vans arriving on the scene, microphones on and their large cameras flashing brightly. _Too many eyes…_

 

He drops down into an alleyway, crawling up the side of the building to the roof to hopefully find some back door or a…

 

 **There is a ventilation entrance a few metres in front of you, Peter.** The AI helpfully supplies.

 

“Thanks, Karen!” Peter whispers to his reliable suit lady before ripping the vent lid straight off its bolts with ease and sneaking inside.

 

He navigates his way through the ventilation system, wondering how perfectly convenient it was for the shafts to be body sized. Peter shuffles along cautiously, careful to not make a sound in hopes of coming across the main room where everything was taking place. But it wasn’t even a minute later until terrified whispers and loud shouting is within the range of his hearing.

 

He peeks down into the room through the slits in the metal, and sees five people on the floor — an elderly lady, a couple and two teenagers that looked familiar but Peter couldn’t exactly pinpoint where he’d seen them. There is a tall man in a ski mask guarding the entrance, one is with the hostages and the other small man is... huh. Peter isn’t sure what he’s doing, but it certainly doesn’t look like he’s trying to steal anything. 

 

“Up against the wall, now!” The guy who’s supposed to be watching the civilians aims his gun at them, appearing as though he was about to shoot. The people immediately follow his order and scuttle up to the wall, trembling in fear and squeezing their eyes shut. The other men are facing in different directions, which only left the guy with the drawn gun with his back towards Peter. _That’s a mistake, buddy..._

 

Before anything else could occur, Peter opens up the vent and speedily crawls along the ceiling, hoping to take the man out quickly but didn’t take into account that one of the teenagers would open their eyes and audibly squeak in surprise at the sight of Spider-Man. The guy looks to where the girl was facing and yells to his friends.

 

 _Ugh_  man, he knew she probably didn’t mean to make a sound, but this does make things considerably harder. The three men point their guns at Peter as he descends down from the ceiling and he was able to web two of them to the ground; knocking their weapons away but the last one had run over to a hostage, catching them in a chokehold. The gun is aimed at the poor girl’s forehead, a warning that he would shoot without hesitation if Spider-Man did anything.

 

“Woahwoahwoah man! C’mon, let’s talk this out.” Peter says, trying to step closer. This is bad. 

 

“You shouldn’t be here, _Spider_.” The tall man rasps out menacingly, shoving the gun closer to the girl’s head. She glances back and forth between the man and Peter, tears in her eyes. “This isn’t your business.”

 

“Err—considering how you’re in Queens, the place _I_ protect, I think that this _is_ my business, thank you very much.” Peter huffs. “Why are you doing this? You don’t look like you’re looking for money, that’s for sure.”

 

The man glares sharply at the vigilante, narrowing his eyes. 

 

“It’s payback.” Comes the late reply.

 

“Payback? ...Like revenge? Damn, is this a personal grudge with the owner of this store or something? Dude—”

 

“Shut up! You know _nothing_.” He snarls like a vicious animal. “I know what I’m doing.”

 

“Sure bud, and that’s a crime.” Peter retorts. “Look—I just want to understand—”

 

“The owner of this place used to be my old boss. When I got here earlier, that old bastard had already run off with his tail between his legs. Like he knew we were coming. But no matter, I’ll hunt him down again. And he’ll get what’s coming to him eventually. It’s been too long overdue.”

 

The 15-year-old superhero steps forward. Think. Think think _think_. He needed to divert his attention elsewhere and get the gun away from the girl’s head. Peter would just snatch it away with his web quickly, but there was too much risk. What if he wasn’t fast enough and the guy pulled the trigger? Then the girl would be dead — and it would be _his fault_. Was this criminal the monologuing type? Peter prayed to any God out there that he was. “Er—W-what’s your issue? With the owner?”

 

The guy gives a dry, humourless laugh, “It’s more than just an issue, kid. That ugly fuck used to own a factory, and I was one of his workers. But then one day, everyone got a notice saying that within three months, the factory was going to shut down, and he was going to build a new one not far away. Everything should’ve been fine, he said we’d get paid leave until we got to work at the new site.”

 

Peter gulps, his white lenses shrinking. He could make out the laboured breathing from the teenage girl within the criminal’s grasp.

 

“But you know what happened instead? He ended up shutting down the place after _two weeks_ , not three months, invested in this pathetic antique store instead of supposedly building a new factory, left us without our last paychecks, leaving me and my co-workers without jobs and money. He lied to us. He tricked us. I will never forgive him for what he did.” He spits venomously in anger.

 

“I-I’m sorry that happened to you, really. But what will you gain from doing this?” Peter asked. The more the masked man talked, the gap between the gun and the girl’s head widened bit by bit.

 

“You don’t understand, Spider-Man. He took _everything_ from me. My job. My money. Left me in debt, and my family struggled. It took ages for us to get back onto our feet. So the least I could do to repay him is to destroy his precious antique store, and take all he has left.” On guard, the man slowly opens up his jacket to reveal a fucking _bomb_ , and he holds it in his other hand. Peter’s stomach flips.

 

“Oh my God, ok um—Mr. Criminal, I’ll admit that what he did was wrong. It was totally unforgivable. But if you do this—then aren’t you turning out just like him? This store, people work here, and yet you’re destroying this whole place. The employees won’t have a job to go back to—They’ll be like how you used to be. Is that what you wanted? And those antiques, some of which are worth thousands and millions, and have so much history, you’re just going to eradicate them? All just to get back at one man?”

 

The criminal is silent for a moment, and a certain expression crosses his face that tells Peter those factors never even crossed his mind. But disappointingly, his features are back to being stoic after a few seconds. “Tch, that doesn’t matter. My only mission right now is to wreck this place into oblivion.” He clutches the bomb in his hand tighter.

 

The series of events that take place next happen so fast you wouldn’t think they happened at all if you blinked.

 

The moment the man lifts the gun off the girl’s head, Peter immediately shoots a webs and snatches it out of his hand — but within doing so, the man throws the bomb into the middle of the room and tries to make a break for the back door entrance.

 

“Oh no you don’t—you’re not going _anywhere.”_  Spider-Man’s web attaches onto the escaping perpetrator, dragging him back towards Peter.

 

But then the beeping coming from the bomb gets quicker. And if movies and TV shows have taught you anything, it’s not a good sign.

 

“Fuck, Karen, is there anything you can do?” He asks as the man struggles in his hold.

 

“You’re making a _mistake_ , Spider-Man.” He hisses.

 

**I’m afraid not, Peter. I’m sorry. But please exit the building as soon as possible, as the bomb will explode within the next ten seconds. Calculating nearest exit route . . . Back door entrance.**

 

“Oh, fantastic.” Peter answers sarcastically before looking back at the man. “And you, shut up. You’re the lunatic that waltzed in here with a _bomb_.”

 

With quick thinking, Peter changes the settings on his web shooters to shock and fire resistant webs and cocoons every single person in the room except for himself.

 

And the second he’s done, the bomb explodes.

 

The shockwave flings Peter across the entire room, and he hears an audible crack as his back comes in contact with the wall. _Ouch_. A high-pitched ringing noise assaults his ears as he tries to gain back his senses, momentarily stunned from the explosion.

 

Not sure how long after, Peter gets up and looks through the dust and smoke dazedly to see his web cocoons still intact, which meant the people inside were safe. Thank God. Peter sighs in relief.

 

He stumbles to the back of the shop, fresh blood continuously trickling down his leg. _Huh? Where was that coming from?_ Peter glances down in confusion, and sees a large metal rod sticking out of his thigh. _Oh._ His breathing picks up drastically and black spots swarm his vision.

 

**Peter, the injury you’ve sustained is causing you significant blood loss. I suggest you—**

 

“ _I’m okay_ , Karen. Really.” He wheezes, trying to focus all of his attention on not passing out. That wouldn’t be so great.

 

**My scan of your body vitals are stating otherwise—**

 

“Karen, mute!”

 

The AI goes completely silent, and for a brief second Peter regrets muting her. But he just can’t right now.

 

He needs to get away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhh it’s happening, it’s happening!! Skjkjsksks the next chapter I’m so SO ready for!! I hope you guys are too!!


	8. Golden-eyed Saviour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... this chapter might be a little on the angst side. There is some description of an injury and panic attack in this one, so just a quick warning. Poor Petey T-T

He couldn’t breathe.

 

Why is it getting so hard to _breathe_? It’s as though gravity has failed him and he feels like he’s floating, completely weightless, _nauseous_ , yet there’s also the unmistakable tendrils of an oppressing heaviness slithering around his chest, violently _squeezing_ the remaining air out of his lungs—

 

He knows that his feet are taking him somewhere, but he doesn’t remember where to. Nor can he actually sense himself moving... Nothing seems to be registering, and he _hates it._

 

Peter gazes at the four shrinking walls around him, seeing them phase in and out from their polished wooden colour to the familiar dusty grey from that night.

 

No, no. His brain is messing with him, making him see things. He’s not there. He _can’t_ be.

 

Peter knows he’s not underneath that building. But why is it that wherever he looks, that place is all he can see?

 

His ragged breathing pick up their pace at the same time his stomach lurches. He didn’t like this one bit and needed to escape, right now. Oh God, he didn’t want to experience the Vulture all over again, especially at this particular timing — since he’s already had enough of reliving it in his sleep. Peter reluctantly admits that he would never ever forget that night. Forget what he saw. Forget what he felt.

 

The helplessness. The agony. The dust particles and clouds of rubble that swirled around like a blizzard in the air, hindering his vision as he lied paralysed beneath the heavy concrete. Crimson blood rolled down from the cuts on his dirty forehead and into his mouth, and he can distinctly remember its bitter metallic taste since it haunts him so frequently in his dreams.

 

He’s suffocating. It’s happening again, and he can’t stop it… _Why is he so weak?_

 

Peter reaches out his hand through the fog — and the second his fingertip skims the door handle he’s slamming open the back door of the store and blindly shooting a web, launching himself up into the air and onto a roof. He makes sure to jump a few buildings away from the scene before dropping back down into a secluded alleyway, taking off his smoke intoxicated mask and throwing it to the side as a horribly familiar stinging claws at his eyes. 

 

He tries to inhale and exhale, to just simply _breathe_ again and gain back any normality of his previous state he once had — but the fresh air felt like it had ignited a wildfire that was slowly permeating through his entire body. It hurts so bad, and he wants nothing more than to be okay again. 

 

Peter thought he was okay, he really did. Forced himself to believe it. Tried to think nothing of the nightmares that come and go. To shake off the lingering anxiousness that tugged at his skin whenever he was in a space too small… But he couldn’t deny himself any longer, because the images from that day were forever burned into the back of his eyelids, a constant reminder that he almost died. He’s finally accepting that he won’t be able to let go of something like that, no matter how hard he tries to. He bites down on his trembling bottom lip to stop himself — but he can’t. Not anymore.

 

A choked sob escapes through his clenched teeth as he leans his pulsating head against the wall, body sliding down to the ground. Warm, salty tears flow freely down his face.

 

Why is he such a screw up? He couldn’t do anything right. He could’ve handled that whole situation differently — done something else, _anything_ else — but then that bomb went off and then all Peter could think about was when he was trapped underneath that building, _screaming_ for someone to save him—

 

Maybe Flash is right. He is a mess, a _wreck_ , and all he does is cause problems for other people when he can’t even handle his own issues.

 

Peter pulls up his knees closer into himself, ignoring the sharp jabs of pain that came from his thigh, hoping that if he curled up into a ball tight enough he would disappear. This is one of those cries that are soul-draining. That aren’t loud sobs but quiet whimpers and sniffles. The type that uses up all of your energy until the very last drop and leaves your chest heaving at the end of it. His whole body is burning up from the inside out, and Peter is scared that he might actually combust from all of the hurt and suffering that has been brewing up a storm inside him ever since he was bitten.

 

Ever since Uncle Ben died… Ever since Peter had failed him.

 

Now May has to work twice as hard to support both of them, leaving her stressed out whenever she comes back home from late shifts at the hospital. Not to mention how much he makes her worry; he’s practically the _cause_ of her festering anxiety. He used to ditch Decathlon Practice to become his alias, seeing the expressions of frustration crossing his classmates’ faces. Accidentally forgetting to do his homework or falling asleep during lessons, disappointing his teachers. Never telling the truth to Ned and MJ about his feelings, saying he’s okay when he isn’t. His words and promises were always empty and broken.

 

_Just like him._

 

And Flash, too. Why now? Why are his taunts echoing in Peter’s head? He usually never lets it get to him. Flash hadn’t brought up his parents and uncle so explicitly before, so that topic of conversation pushed certain buttons that shouldn’t have been pushed. Peter has never felt more exposed. More vulnerable than he does right now in this moment.

 

He’s a letdown. A pathetic excuse of a being. Completely and utterly _worthless—_

 

Suddenly, there’s light footsteps from beside Peter, and it jolts him out of his self-loathing thoughts. _Oh no, who is it?_ He thinks he’s hidden pretty well in a small gap between two large dumpsters, so nobody should be able to see him. And he’s still in his Spider-Man suit, too. Shit, this person will know his identity! _And then he’d be endangering everyone again and then they’ll get hurt and it’s all his fault—_

 

He searches the floor for his mask that he stupidly discarded earlier, but it’s too late. There’s a figure standing in front of him. Peter snaps his head up rapidly in alarm, expecting to see an angry store employee taking out the trash about to yell a string of profanities at him or a homeless person trying to dumpster dive.

 

But what he _doesn’t_ expect to see, is a platinum-blonde haired boy with… golden (yellow?) eyes, staring down at him curiously. He appears to be around Peter’s age, maybe slightly older, and is wearing weird robe-like clothing that has strange metallic symbols and lines embroidered onto the silky fabric. He’d never seen something quite like it before.

 

“...”

 

They share eye contact for almost a full minute, and it’s beginning to get awkward. Peter curses internally and wants to kick himself, because he’d lost his chance to escape. The stranger had already seen his whole face. His whole _red, tear-streaked face_. Damn, what is he getting all distracted for? But anyway, Peter doesn’t have enough energy to do anything currently, let alone move. Might as well see what happens next.

 

So he just sits there on the dirty ground, looking like he’d been dragged through hell and back and doesn’t realise he’d been zoning out until the unknown boy shuffles a little closer. He slowly raises his finger to point to the spot in front of Peter and gives him a glance, as if asking for permission to sit down on the alleyway floor with him. 

 

 _Uhh, okay. Sure, why not?_ Peter nods, inspecting him warily. After all, the boy hadn’t done anything to him yet. Hadn’t mentioned anything about him being Spider-Man either. And his spidey-senses weren’t tingling in the slightest — in fact, they’re the quietest they've ever been since he’d developed them. Not _completely_ silent of course, but it’s as if it’s transformed into a soft ambient buzzing in the background. Huh.

 

When the extremely blonde boy whose hair looked practically white (was it dyed or natural? Peter didn’t know), which he temporarily nicknamed ‘Snow’ in his mind, sits down cross-legged in front of him, he speaks up in the most calming voice Peter has ever heard in his entire life.

 

“Are you... alright?”

 

Peter wants to laugh, because it’s horrendously obvious that he isn’t. Maybe it shows on his face, because the next thing Snow says is, “Right, umm. Of course you’re not. Forgive me, that wasn’t exactly an intelligent question…”

 

There’s a pregnant pause before he speaks up again.

 

“Do you... wish to speak about it? I heard that verbally expressing our inner thoughts and emotions can bring slight relief, or something along those lines.” Snow finishes, scratching the back of his head lightly. 

 

For thirty incredibly long seconds, Peter’s brain lost its ability to function. What is this whole situation? How did he get here? He contemplates for a little while longer, wondering if he should talk to this boy or just bail and leave him. But what would Snow do then? Go around and tell his friends about how he met Spider-Man? How he came across him crying his eyes out in an alleyway, and that he’s not really a ‘Man’ but a hopeless teenager? Peter has too many unanswered questions, but snaps out of it when he remembers he hasn’t replied. _Oops, embarrassing._

 

Still feeling defensive, Peter shyly mumbles out, “Er, w-well. Thing is. I don’t know. I don’t know if I should say… since I’m Spider-Man and all, it’s not t-that I don’t trust you or anything! Well actually it is, b-but I just have a secret identity to keep, so I don’t think it would be… uhh, appropriate for me to talk about stuff…yeah.” He stumbles over his words, feeling absolutely mortified.

 

He hates this so much. Why could he never seem to speak properly after his panic attacks? And is Snow even from around these parts? If he isn’t, that would explain the rather peculiar clothing and slight tinge of an unrecognisable accent in his voice. Ok, Peter really needs to calm down. Asking all these questions in his head won’t get him anywhere.

 

Snow cocks his head to the side, confusion spread across his features. “...Spider-Man? Secret identity? I’m sorry—I, I don’t know who you are. I’ve never heard of you before as I’ve only just arrived,” He smiles nervously. “Oh! Excuse me, I haven’t even introduced myself. My name is Caspian Raskreia... I am by no means expecting you to introduce yourself back if you are feeling uncomfortable.”

 

The fifteen year old is stunned. Wow, he’s never actually met someone who doesn’t know who Spider-Man is before. He doesn’t mean that in an arrogant way or anything, of course he’s not expecting to get acknowledged by everyone, it’s just that ever since the... Vulture incident, he had become way more popular amongst the public.

 

There were both good and bad opinions of him, bad being the people at the Daily Bugle, especially a certain triple J who seemed to despise Spider-Man with an intense passion and never ran out of elaborate stories to depict him as a villain. But other than that, Friendly Neighbourhood Spidey is the widely adored and favoured hero of Queens. Even Spider-Man merch was released. However, Caspian was saying that he hadn’t even _heard_ of him. ….Guess that proves he’s not from here then, maybe? It’s still odd.

 

He brings his knees down a little from their previous fetal position since the pain from the metal rod is finally processing, and the moment he does Caspian’s eyes widen in shock.

 

“You—you’re bleeding! And quite a lot, too! Goodness, how have you not fainted yet?” He panics, leaning in closer to try and find the source of the blood. It seems to be seeping out uncontrollably, the dark crimson staining the suit. “...Do you have an infinite supply of blood or something? Honestly.” He jokes underneath his breath good-naturedly, successfully lifting away some tension in the air. 

 

And this time, Peter does laugh, even though it’s a bit strained. He really didn’t account for this turn of events, and had expected for Caspian to squirm or freak out... but he didn’t do that at all. Which, to be frank, Peter isn’t sure whether or not it’s something to be concerned about.

 

“The blood is probably coming from the nasty hole in my thigh that a metal rod made.” Peter drops his knee down completely so that his leg lay flat on the floor, revealing a long, metal pole glistening with fresh blood poking out of his skin. He grimaces at the action.

 

Caspian looks at him in horror. “Heavens.” He quietly breathes out, examining the injury. He is about to reach out with his hand and do something, but then stops, staring straight into Peter’s eyes.

 

“Is… is it okay if I touch you? I may be of some assistance to your wound.” 

 

Peter stares back disbelievingly with his eyebrows arched. “You know how to deal with this?” He points to hole in his flesh. Peter was planning on just pulling the rod out and wait for his enhanced healing to do it’s magic, but with Caspian supposedly ‘helping’ he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.

 

“Yes, actually,” He replies. “I believe I’m proficient enough in my first aid skills.”

 

“Ummm… okay, then. But just letting you know, if you try anything sketchy, I won’t hesitate to web you up.” Peter warns.

 

“Don’t worry. I have no other intentions other than to help you, I give you my word. And… the webbing up—thing, is that part of your whole…” Caspian gestures to all of Peter. “Spider-Man persona?”

 

Peter blinks, remembering that this stranger doesn’t know his alias at all, and what he can do. While he is briefly occupied by his thoughts, Caspian had already got to work on his wound.

 

“Oh, yeah. That’s kinda my whole gig. ‘Cause spiders make webs, and I’m Spider-Man, so I make webs too. Not organically. Well actually I can-” _shit, why’d he mention that?_ “-but no one else knows that. It’s also really difficult to use so I prefer my mechanical web shooters instead. A radioactive spider bit me, which is how I got my pow—what the _fuck._ ”

 

Peter stops mid sentence at the sight of the metal rod, _which is supposed to still be embedded in his flesh_ , floating in the air just above his leg. Caspian has one hand held next to the nasty gash on his thigh, a light greenish-gold glow emitting from his palm. New skin cells are generating over his wound, stopping any more blood from escaping, and soon where there was once a hole the size of a fist is now nothing but a slightly discoloured skin patch.

 

Holy shit. _Holy shit._ Peter’s mouth drops wide open like a gaping fish out of water. He didn’t feel the rod slide out. At _all_. There is no pain whatsoever. Huh, this is much, much better than what Peter was originally going to do. But it still doesn’t explain anything.

 

Caspian grins sheepishly, biting his bottom lip.

 

“H-how did you do that? Oh my God, oh my _God_ , you have powers too? How did you make that metal pole float?? Not just that, but you fixed my wound too!” The teenage vigilante exclaims, unable to hide the elation in his voice.

 

“Hmm, my powers aren’t all that much. Unlike you, I was born with mine. It is essentially healing, mainly. But I can do other things as well.” Caspian discloses.

 

“Dude, that’s so cool!! That’s such a convenient power. Screw my healing factor, when your powers can heal wounds like that in _seconds._ ” Peter praises, genuinely intrigued by Caspian’s display of his ability.

 

“Thank you. I am honoured by your compliment.” Peter could be imagining it, but a pinkish tint dusted Caspian’s cheeks. “Oh yes, about your powers. What else can you do?” The white-haired boy’s eyes sparkle in curiosity.

 

“Umm, I have enhanced strength. Agility. Hearing and sight. Etcetera.” Before, Peter felt hesitant to talk about himself. But now knowing that Caspian is a fellow super, he feels more at ease.

 

“How interesting. So you must be quite stronger than the average human, then?” 

 

Peter stiffens slightly, subconsciously tugging at his wrist. “Well… it depends on what your definition of ‘strong’ is. If lifting over 50 tons is strong, then yes. But running away like a coward when things got too much?” He scoffs humourlessly and crosses his arms over his chest. The spiderling is slouched forwards, letting his messy brown curls cascade over his eyes.

  
“No... I’m not strong at all.” He says, voice soft and distant.

 

Caspian frowns, face contorting into a sympathetic appearance. “You’re not a coward. Far from it. You got this wound from, I’m assuming, saving people, right?”

 

“...Yeah.”

 

“So, yes. To me, that shows you’re strong. You had the courage to do that. To help those people, to save their lives, even though that meant putting your own at risk. It’s an act of bravery if I’ve ever seen one, and I’ll have you know that _pure_ courage is severely lacking in the hearts of mortals—erm, _humans_ , nowadays. However... you’re a different matter. _You_ have it in you—and it’s as clear as day to anyone who looks hard enough. No, not even that. Just one glance at you they’ll be able to see it straight away.” 

 

A silence envelopes them, and Peter doesn’t know how to respond back. All of a sudden the hand that’s still hovering above his thigh from when Caspian was using his powers feels too hot.

 

And then. And then… something is falling from Peter’s eyes. He hesitantly brings his fingertips up to touch his face, realising it’s wet again. At first he is silent, unable to understand what exactly is happening but then broken whimpers are leaving his mouth. His cries sound foreign to his own ears because he doesn’t process that _he’s_ the one crying until gentle arms are wrapped around him protectively.

 

“You’re okay.” Caspian whispers softly into his ear, stroking soothing circles across Peter’s trembling back. The physical contact is immediately grounding, and those words must’ve been some sort of key, because as soon as they were said a waterfall of tears come streaming down his face. Peter’s feeling embarrassed to be taking comfort from a stranger, but right now he couldn’t care less. He desperately wants this, _needs_ this.

 

For some reason, he’s crying harder than he’s ever had since Ben died. Heart-wrenching sobs rip out from the back of his throat, and Peter feels the arms around him tighten.

 

The hug is different. He’s had comforting ones before of course, from Aunt May, Ned, and even a shoulder pat from MJ which surprised him — but this one... he’s never had someone hold him like this when he’s falling apart. When he’s no longer pretending that he’s whole, or perfectly put together. And it’s... nice, in a way.

 

_Relieving._

 

He was always a little scared about what May, Michelle and Ned would think because he’s known them for so long and their opinions matter to him, so he always had to put on a show. 

 

It... can be really hard to open up to people you care about. For numerous reasons. But it’s not just that; Peter didn’t want to burden his friends and family with his problems. 

 

But Caspian.. he’s someone he just met, someone who knew nothing about him beforehand. And Peter took advantage of that fact — relished in it. He’s being selfish from taking comfort in Caspian and he knows it.

 

Peter’s told him things he hasn’t even told his two best friends and aunt. Why? He wishes he had the answer... But somehow Peter couldn’t find it within himself to doubt Caspian. Maybe it’s because his senses feel unusually calm in his presence, or the fact that he has powers too and healed Peter as if it were nothing. He just doesn’t _know_ , and it’s frustrating him immensely.

 

“I-I’m so sorry about this…” He tries to say, but it comes out as an incoherent mumble. Oh God, his throat is clogging up again, and more tears threaten to spill from his red-rimmed eyes.

 

But luckily Caspian understands what he means. “You do not need to apologise to me.”

 

They stay like that for a little while longer, just until Peter has calmed down enough. But then the arms around him slide away, releasing him from their solacing grasp.

 

“I...I must be going now, forgive me.” Caspian stands up abruptly, and Peter doesn’t miss the way he subtly brings his thumb forward to wipe away a stray tear on his cheek. It happens all too quickly, as Caspian is now smoothening down the wrinkles that appeared on his clothes, getting ready to leave. Peter is still sat on the floor, strangely missing his touch. “Will you... be okay? How are you feeling?” 

 

“Huh? O-Oh, yeah. I’ll be fine. I’m feeling much better now, thank you... I’m sorry to keep you here,” He fidgets. “This must’ve been really awkward for you.” 

 

“Not at all. And do remember what I said.”

 

“Right, yeah, sor—” Peter cuts himself off, biting the flesh of his inner cheek. He glances at Caspian through his wet eyelashes, an expectant expression on his face. “U-um. Will I see you again?” He sniffs, rubbing at his arms.

 

Caspian hums, smirking secretively. “Maybe.”

 

“Oh come on, man. You’re trying to be all cool and mysterious.” Peter rolls his eyes and giggles, as if he were talking to an old friend instead of someone he met literally half an hour ago.

 

“Okay, okay. Yes.”

 

“But how? I mean—I could try to find you, but there’s millions of other people in New York, it’s just unrealistic. And it’s not like we have each other’s n-numbers or anything.”

 

“Don’t worry. There isn’t any need to search for me, for I will be the one to find you.” He walks out of the alleyway and Peter hears a faint ‘goodbye’ as Caspian takes off into the street, disappearing into the sea of passerby’s.

 

Peter gets up from the ground on his wobbly legs, looking for his mask. He finds it near some cardboard boxes and picks it up, thinking about everything that just happened. It was such a surreal meeting.

 

But he feels like he’s forgetting something. What is it? Peter scrambles through his schedule in his mind, and his eyes almost pop out of their sockets when finally remembering.

 

_Oh shit, the internship!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes people forget that Peter is just a kid. Sure, superheroing may be cool and all, but emotional turmoil is part of the package. It’s not nice, but it’s life. 
> 
> Anyway, Caspian is finally here!! After 8 chapters, took long enough lol. <3


	9. Private Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, how are you all? I’m still an amateur when it comes to writing in the MCU, so if something is inaccurate please excuse me for that.
> 
> And I also apologise for my lack of knowledge in scientific terminology. Even if it doesn’t make sense I’d appreciate it if you just went along with it ahaha. 
> 
> But I hope you still enjoy reading. :)

_**Two hours ago in the Tower.**  _

 

Tony was tinkering in his lab, fixing up the latest prototype of his nanotech ironman suit. It was such a beauty and worked even better than last time. He was always conjuring up ways to improve his tech — making it more efficient with each and every new update and modification.

 

He spun around on his wheely-chair, sliding across the other side of the lab to gather some tools until the loud music playing on overhead speakers decreased in volume slightly and FRIDAY spoke up.

 

**“Boss, you have an incoming call from Director Fury. Would you like me to connect you through?”**

 

Tony grumbled underneath his breath, placing his trusty screwdriver back down on the messy table. “Answer the call, baby girl.”

 

FRIDAY did as she was told.

 

“What is it this time?” The billionaire sighed depressingly. 

 

“Stark. Call a meeting. I want the team in the conference room in ten.” Fury ordered sternly, not mentioning anything else before hanging up immediately. This wasn’t surprising at all.

 

God, he’s getting too old for this. What was the situation now? Was it aliens again?

 

Tony stood up from his seat and stretched his muscles after being stationary for a decent six hours, walking over to Bruce’s lab to fetch him before making his way down to the penthouse common room.

 

* * *

 

When Tony and Bruce turned the corner of the hallway, the first thing in their line of sight was various foods and snacks scattered all across the sofa. Tony narrowed his eyes at Sam and Clint, who were undeniably the culprits as they were sat right in the middle of the mess, focused on an intense game of Mario Kart.

 

“No no no, don’t you _dare_ use the blue shell on me!” Clint pleaded, fingers furiously tapping away on the controller.

 

Sam smirked and gazed at Clint in mock sympathy. “Tough luck, Clint—I’m sorry it had to be this way...”

 

“This is sabotage!”

 

They continued to bicker like children, and Tony scowled when Clint started throwing chips at Sam’s face with accurate precision. “You better clean that up later.” Tony muttered, causing Clint to turn around and grin at him playfully.

 

Natasha, Steve and James were conversing quietly by the kitchen countertop whilst Wanda and Vision were situated on the far end of the sofa, the only section that hadn’t been invaded by Sam and Clint’s crazy gaming food fest.

 

Tony sighed once again. “Alright gang. Eyepatch called. We have a meeting to get to, he wants us in the conference room in ten.” He relayed, informing the team.

 

“Aw man, I wondering how long we could go without a mission,” Sam grunted and reluctantly turned off the TV screen. “We’ve been so busy recently.”

 

Everyone verbalised a few words of agreement and sorted themselves out, preparing for what was to come. It seemed like as of lately they’d gotten no time to rest.

 

Tony glanced around and searched for a particular Norse God, who was nowhere to be found. “Where’d Point Break fly off to now? Didn’t he just come back to Earth this morning?”

 

“Oh, he’s off in Norway looking over the constructions for New Asgard and is helping the Asgardians settle in. Should be back for this evening though.” Clint answered.

 

* * *

 

As soon as the Avengers settled around the table, Tony pushed a button and suddenly Fury’s holographic figure was displayed in front of them in live feed. The walls around him were pitch black and you wouldn’t be able to identify where he was even if you tried. Fury must be in a undisclosed location of sorts doing whatever he usually does.

 

Natasha and Clint immediately took notice of his pseudo-calm demeanour, the way his usual stoic face had faint lines of anxiousness etched upon it.

 

Fury finally spoke after what seemed like a good minute of silence. “Earlier on today, one of the agents that monitor our systems detected an anomaly. Our SHIELD satellites in high orbit have picked up on an unknown transmission of electromagnetic waves from deep space.” he revealed, unwavering gaze kept on the team.

 

Suddenly, a projector descended down from the ceiling and another holographic image was shown, however this time it was a map of the whole area and there seemed to be a large, flashing red mark in one certain place.

 

“The frequency entered our atmosphere for a few brief seconds before it disappeared, and its last location was detected in Queens. This could be highly dangerous. Something or someone could’ve possibly infiltrated our defences and is now occupying anywhere in New York under the radar, or this could be a signal from an oncoming spaceship.

 

“Either way, I want you all to investigate this and look out for any large scale catastrophic behaviour and activity in the city for the next few days. I’ve already contacted Ant-Man and the Black Panther regarding this issue, and they’ll lend us their aid if what we do find ends up being a major threat. They’ll also be our extra set of eyes.”

 

Tony groaned, his palm bunching up the skin on his cheek as he leant boredly against it. “Is it the aliens again? But instead of a straightforward invasion, the tactic they chose this time round was to secretly infiltrate New York? Come on.”

 

“If it is aliens, it’s all the better for us though. We’ve got too much experience with ‘em,” Clint said nonchalantly.

 

“So you just want us to investigate for the time being?” Natasha asked, wanting confirmation on what it was exactly they were supposed to do. Huh, they didn’t have missions like this often. Usually they were told to go to a specific destination and ninety five percent of the time they engaged in battle immediately. But an investigation? She had no qualms about it, as it’s a job suitable for a Russian spy like herself.

 

“Yes, until further information is collected. And while you’re in Queens, I suggest that you try to find Spider-Man. He may have valuable insight on the situation since that place is known as his territory and he will most likely know if anything has occurred around there.” Fury supplied.

 

Tony’s head perked up. “Spider-Man? Oh yeah, I’ve heard about that guy. I was going to look into him but I guess I forgot.” he shrugged.

 

“Spider-Man... The vigilante?” Steve questioned, tilting his head. He didn’t know much about that wall-crawler.

 

“Yeah, he’s super popular amongst the kids and locals. He’s only been around for a year or two.” Sam pointed out.

 

“And yet within that time period he’s made quite the name for himself, don’t you think?” Fury’s gaze hardened. “We’ll see how this pans out. If he fares well and contributes to this mission in one shape or form, I... may consider introducing him to the team in the near future.”

 

Expressions of surprise overtook the majority of people in the room. “Really? I know you wouldn’t let anyone become an Avenger just because of that, so you must’ve been considering him for a while. But why Spider-Man though?” Steve asked curiously.

 

Bruce spoke up for the first time since they entered the meeting. “It’s not unexpected, I suppose. He did take down the Vulture single-handedly. It was all over the news.”

 

“And he stopped a moving car with his bare hands, as well as saved a ferry full of people…” Natasha nodded, adding onto Bruce’s input. “...Yes. I guess he is quite remarkable.”

 

“Oh damn,” Sam breathed, not expecting Nat to compliment a vigilante. “Well, I don’t know if we can trust him or not, but I think it will be fine. He seems like a cool guy to me.”

 

Steve rubbed his chin, eyebrows scrunched up in thought. “Hmm, I’m not so sure. We don’t know anything about his identity—what if he spontaneously decides to turn on the civilians one day and side with the criminals? It’s just risky.”

 

“Oh come on Steve, as if he could hurt anyone. Have you seen his videos on YouTube? That guy helps old ladies crossing the road and cats out of trees for god sake.” Clint countered.

 

James looked over to Steve and snickered. “Yeah I don’t think he has seen those videos, he’s still learning how to use technology remember?”

 

“Buck!” Steve exclaimed, face flushing red. “I’m not _that_ bad! I know how to do the basics, and I’m getting better at it,” he mumbled the last sentence embarrassedly. “And plus, you’re not that tech savvy yourself, so you can talk.”

 

James grinned. “Still better than you, Stevie.”

 

“Aww, the Grandpa’s are still learning how to navigate 21st century technology, how cute.” Clint cooed, evoking a sharp glare from the both of them. Natasha rolled her eyes and Sam snorted.

 

Wanda twiddled with her fingers, gently speaking up. Everyone paid attention to her. “Um, about Spider-Man… He seems like a good person to me. He’s done a lot for the public.”

 

“I agree with Wanda. After all, even though there are an innumerable amount of powered individuals living amongst us, Spider-Man is the one reoccuring consistently on the news and is making the biggest positive change,” Vision said. “Statistics have shown that the crime rate in Queens has gone down by a drastic eighty five percent ever since Spider-Man first made an appearance.”

 

Sam whistled in amazement, and another silence enveloped the room. That is until Tony cleared his throat and broke the contemplative atmosphere. “Righty then. We’ll listen to your words and see how this goes.” He said to Fury, standing up.

 

Fury nodded appreciatively before the connection was severed.

 

* * *

 

When they re-entered the common room, Sam was scrolling through his phone when all of a sudden a notification pinged up on his screen. Alas, it was the news.

 

“Shit, there was an explosion downtown.” He said, and Sam could hear Steve mutter ‘language’ from the kitchen. 

 

“Oh? What happened?” James questioned.

 

“Mmmmmm, it’s a ‘Supposed robbery attempt gone wrong’ Media says. Luckily no one was hurt though because… apparently Spider-Man was there and shielded the people inside the building from the blast by wrapping them up in web cocoons…” his sentence trailed off, as if he was trying to decipher what he was reading. “Huh.”

 

“Speak of the devil.” Natasha huffed, opening up a packet of fresh fruit.

 

Clint cringed as he sat on the edge of the sofa, fiddling with one of his arrows. “Ew, cocoons? I didn’t know he made those.”

 

“Neither did I. I know about the things he can do, but I never actually expected him to be quite so… _spidery._ ” Sam confessed.

 

Tony walked in, holding a StarkPad in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. “It’s almost half four, Pete should be here by now. Have you guys seen him?”

 

“No, but if he’s late then maybe he’s caught up in road blockages. There was an explosion in a robbery attempt earlier.” Steve answered helpfully.

 

“Hmm.” Tony hummed, sitting on a stool in the kitchen. He hadn’t mentioned it to the rest of the team yet, but there was more to this case then what met their eyes. He felt it. It was like an irritating itch at the back of his head, telling him to remember something but he couldn’t figure out what.

 

Hopefully he’d remember it later on.

 


	10. Late Already

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, just letting you know that there probably won’t be updates until next month since I’m busy with exams. Love you all x

Peter sprints down the sidewalk in his disheveled civilian clothes, maneuvering his way through the crowds of people gathered curiously behind the police tapes put up after the explosion. Thankfully the blast itself wasn’t exceedingly powerful, as the building structure is barely just holding itself together and only the front outer wall of the store collapsed; creating a chaotic mess of rubble that littered the surrounding street.

 

The teenager glances through the gaps between people’s heads and bodies, trying to gauge the situation. _Is anyone injured? Are the hostages okay?_ Peter feels guilty for running away like that — he knows he shouldn’t have, but his emotions got the better of him. He’ll try his hardest not to make the same mistake again.

 

Immediate relief floods his body once Peter’s eyes catch sight of the five people safe and sound, not a single scratch on their bodies. They stood huddled together beside an ambulance, getting their health and physical conditions overlooked by medics.

 

His cocoon webs lay discarded on the floor, already dissolving away into nothingness. The three criminals on the other hand, had been apprehended and are being pushed into the back of a police car flashing red and blue lights with frustrated and grim expressions on their faces.

 

News reporters are swarming the scene and Peter can hear them vaguely mention Spider-Man but he keeps on walking past, eventually reaching an area of ground that wasn’t occupied by a dense mass of noisy, fumbling bodies. He would’ve stayed to listen a little to what they are saying about him due to curiosity however he’s running really, _really_ late for his internship.

 

Is Mr. Stark going to be mad? Will he fire him? Maybe it’s wishful thinking, or his selfishness talking… but he wants to stay as Mr. Stark’s intern, no matter how much he believes he doesn’t deserve to be.

 

As he absentmindedly kicks his heels on the pathway, his mind wanders off, briefly recalling his meeting with the mysterious Caspian. A faint smile tugs at Peter’s lips.

 

* * *

 

He finally enters the lobby of the Tower, every single limb of his body feeling weak as though his muscles spontaneously transformed into jelly. It’s the first time he’s come here on his own, since last time was with Happy and even then, he took him inside though the underground garage entrance, not the front.

 

But here Peter is, standing suspiciously as he walks up to the metal gate — clutching the black access pass that Mr. Stark gave to him on Saturday tightly in his hand. He could already feel the beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Why is this so nerve wracking?

 

 _Just scan the pass, go through quickly and enter the private elevator. It’ll be fine,_ he chants in his mind. It gave him a weird sort of feeling, being the youngest person in the building and all. He was surrounded by talented adults and scientists everywhere and felt like he didn’t quite... belong here.

 

Peter was told to enter through the private elevator whenever he arrives since it was the only one that had direct floor access to the the penthouse.

 

But unexpectedly, a man pulls harshly on Peter’s hoodie, bringing him to a quick stop. 

 

“Hey squirt, are ya’ lost?” 

 

Peter swivels around with his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, shaking the unknown pair of hands off him in the process. He’d really rather not have this mans grubby hands on him, thanks.

 

“No, I’m not, actually.” The teenager tries to reply firmly, but the taller stranger who Peter recognises is dressed up in a guard uniform sneers at him in distrust. 

 

“Rrright. Sure thing. Okay, fun’s over—exit’s that way—” The man directs Peter to the entrance of the lobby, until another guard is seen walking up to the duo.

 

“What’s up, Freddie? Is there an issue here?”

 

“Nuthin’, just caught this kid here wanderin’ around the place. He ain’t allowed.”

 

The second man glances at Peter and analyses him for a second, however he smiles reassuringly afterwards. He ultimately appears much more nicer and more approachable than the first man.

 

“Hi there. Are you looking for something? I’m sorry, but we don’t allow the public to casually walk around in here without permission, unless they work here or have authorization. We have to keep a lookout for any danger, you see.” He explains politely.

 

Peter blinks — caught in a daze from the sudden turn of events, only just realising that his nervous standing about must’ve seemed dubious to any spectators. “O-oh, of course, that’s understandable, Sir—it wasn’t my intention to come across as suspicious, but um, I… do actually work here…?” His phrase unintentionally comes out like a question.

 

The two men look back and forth between each other in apprehension. “Uhh… Come again?” The second guard laughs nervously, tilting his head.

 

“See, Ty? Kid’s a troublemaker, tryin’ to lie and get his way inside the place.”

 

The second guard frowns doubtfully after hearing his friend’s words. This teenager didn’t look like a someone naughty or rebellious all to him, not in the slightest. Especially not with the Star Wars science pun t-shirt he’s wearing, that reads ‘May the mass times acceleration be with you’. Peter emanated the air of a kind and smart kid. Maybe he really does work here? And also, Ty’s interaction with him made him fit the criteria even more so, as he was reverently polite. Since Peter reminds him of his own son, he’s subconsciously soft on him.

 

Swiftly remembering something, he raises the question, “Ah, do you have an access pass with you?”

 

“I’m tellin’ ya’, he ain’t got no pass, he’s jus—” The first guard’s eyes widen in pure shock as Peter slowly brings his hand up in front of them, unwrapping his fingers to reveal a shiny, carbon black pass coated in a transparent metallic sheen that rests in the middle of his palm. There is a singular gold strip on the side to indicate Alpha Level 1.

 

The guards have never seen it personally before, but they have heard all about it. Everyone in the entire building knows who this particular type of coloured pass should belong to — Tony stark and Pepper Potts... exclusively. Even though Tony never carries his around with him, but Pepper does and some people have seen her with it. 

 

Did he steal it? That should be impossible. On closer inspection, the pair of guards notice the engraving of the name ‘PETER PARKER’ on the right hand side, along with the company logo at the bottom. 

 

Uh oh, it’s the real deal. 

 

...How the _hell_ did this kid get one? 

 

The spiderling tenses up, feeling awkward about them staring at his access pass. It wasn’t like it was anything excessively special, so why were they looking at him like he won the lottery? There wasn’t even a picture of him on the card yet since he hadn’t taken a photo. They’ll probably get that done today.

 

“Ummm… can I go now?”

 

The first guard wasn’t having it one bit, and was going to open his mouth to say that Peter must’ve forged it somehow when a voice resonates throughout the lobby, grabbing the attention of everyone present. 

 

**“Mr. Andrews and Mr. Rovan, I’d advise you to allow Mr. Parker through since Boss has been waiting patiently for his arrival. In fact, Sir is on his way down as I speak.”**

 

Ty and Freddie stare at each other in disbelievement.

 

“O-oh, sure thing FRIDAY,” Ty says, grabbing his skeptical friend by the arm as to let Peter pass through the metal gate. “Sorry to hold you up, kid.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Peter smiles gently.

 

He scanned his pass and the gate opened up at the same time Tony exited the elevator. 

 

“Pete! You made it, I was starting to grow worried that you had been kidnapped.” Tony jokes, rushing up to the boy with a smile plastered on his face.

 

“Mr. Stark I’m so so sorry I’m late—”

 

“Woah woah kid, It’s alright. I’m not mad. There was an explosion down the street near your school, so you must’ve been caught up. You good?”

 

“Uhh yeah. Yeah, I was caught up in the road blockages. But I’m good now. Alllll good.” Peter nods a little too enthusiastically.

 

“...Okay, Well I’m glad you’re here in one piece. And anyway, I forgot to mention that Happy will be picking you up after school everyday now, so no need to get here on your own.”

 

“O-Oh, Mr. Stark you don’t have to do that for me—”

 

“Nonsense, Pete. And really, it’s Tony.”

 

“Okay, thank you... Mr. Stark.” Peter says playfully.

 

Tony rolls his eyes and ruffles Peter’s hair, nonchalantly slinging an arm around him. The two guards from earlier are still standing in place, watching the exchange between Peter and Tony unravel right in front of their eyes. 

 

The billionaire glances towards them. “Ah right. FRIDAY told me that you stopped him from entering. Parker here is my personal intern, so he has access to everywhere I do. Let that be known to all other security guards as to stop this situation from happening again.”

 

“Yes, Sir.” They reply in unison.

 

“Good.” Tony smiles, leading Peter away into the private elevator.

 


	11. Oops...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....
> 
> Heyyyyy.... hi... so, um. I’m back? I’m really sorry for being gone for 5 months? Please don’t be upset with me? <3 
> 
> Anyways, here’s a chapter that is long overdue. I’m not that happy with it, but it’s been sitting there for so long I figured I’ll just post it to get it over and done with. Love you guys xx

Natasha slowly sips on her drink, eyes immediately flickering to the elevator door as it opens, two people stepping out in mid conversation. 

 

“—honestly Pete, I’m surprised why you haven’t skipped the rest of high school and gone straight to college, _M.I.T_ specifically, with a brain like yours. It could take you anywhere. Ah, I could write you a letter of recommendation if you want—”

 

“ _Mr. Stark!_ ” Peter squeaks in alarm, interrupting the man. “You _really_ don’t need to do that for me.” He’s laughing a little nervously, hoping that Tony won’t actually go and do it. He’s a little stunned at how the billionaire could do something like that so easily, but Peter supposes he shouldn’t be surprised. 

 

God, just the thought of it is insane enough. If word got out that THE Tony Stark wrote a personal letter of recommendation to one of the top colleges for _him_ , people at his school would go into hysterics, dismissing it as a poor excuse of a joke. Especially Flash. 

 

But then again, the same goes for his internship. That itself is already quite hard to believe; hell Peter himself has a difficult time comprehending the fact ever since Tony uttered the words _‘You’re an intern now.’_  

 

As much as he appreciates Tony’s offer, he wants to get into college through his own efforts. The letter would ultimately establish his position there, and he doesn’t want that certainty. 

 

Peter and Tony don’t notice Natasha at first, who’s sitting in the lounge, watching them from across the room. 

 

She inspects Peter, staring at him closely. He looks every bit his age, young and energetic and quite frankly too innocent for his own good. She supposes that’s why she’s a bit wary of him. After all, what kind of kid is able to catch the eyes of Tony so easily? From observation and listening in to conversations (and she may or may not have done a quick background check), Nat knows that Peter is highly intelligent, practically crossing the line into genius prodigy territory— not to mention his endearing enthusiasm and over politeness. It’s just too good to be true. 

 

Someone like this is the perfect candidate for infiltration. And to get on Tony’s good side right away? That’s a dangerous power to hold. 

 

When they first met, Natasha noticed the way his face paled; the way he gulped and stuttered and started sweating excessively. Anyone could mark that off as just nervousness from meeting the world’s most famous heroes, and of course it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that Peter had hero worship and adoration for them. So a reaction like that is completely normal. 

 

But Nat knew better than that. 

 

Tony didn’t explicitly tell the Avengers, but she accidentally found out that the man had been looking for a protégé. 

 

And for this child to show up so conveniently, in the midst of his search? Effortlessly ticking all the boxes? 

 

After everything they’ve been through… everything _she’s_ done, the pain and the regret of their mistakes… 

 

If Peter has been planted by an enemy… in some sort of elaborate plan to take control over the company… 

 

She tightly grips her glass, settling it down on the coffee table quietly. Her eyes are dark and wisps of her hair fall forwards as she tilts her head down. 

 

Natasha just doesn’t want to see Tony get hurt. 

 

She let it happen before. But she will be damned if she lets it happen again. 

 

As the footsteps fade away, her phone screen lights up with a little buzz. Nat looks down at the notification.

 

 _[You have 1 new message from_ **_Pest._** _]_

 

 **_Pest_ ** _: Tashhh!!! C’mon, when are you gonna join us? Training is boring without u *pout emoji*_

 

Natasha crosses her arms, the faintest smile on her lips. 

 

What Sam said earlier… Maybe he’s right… Maybe she’s overthinking things, and making the situation seem bigger than it really is. Nat knows that everyone thinks she’s paranoid, though they won’t say it directly to her face. 

 

With a resigned sigh, she gets up from the sofa and makes her way to the training room. 

 

* * *

 

Peter continues to talk with Tony, not missing the glares that Natasha’s been sending his way. Part of his Spidey-sense is that he _knows_ when someone is looking at him, (and when he’s being watched by CCTV) and it makes him uncomfortable. But it’s also saved him countless of times, helping him avoid people and cameras when needed. 

 

Did he do something wrong? Why is she constantly watching him? 

 

Unaware of both Natasha’s and Peter’s individual thoughts, Tony catches himself smiling fondly at the kid and shakes his head slightly. 

 

Peter has an IQ that rivals even his own and Bruce, and Tony can’t deny the way he loves how Peter is able to converse so smoothly with him about different scientific topics, showing no signs of confusion or misunderstanding. It’s… really nice. 

 

Sometimes, when he goes off on a long rambling tangent about his newly created armour or weapons, everyone sans Bruce looks at him in a way to say _‘I’m looking at you to let you know that I’m listening but I honestly don’t understand anything you’re saying at all._ ’ and Tony tells himself that he doesn’t mind, not really. How could he? 

 

So… when this boy, this _teenager_ is able to understand him 100% and even add his own input, Tony can’t help but feel... _excited_ about it. 

 

Sue him all you want. 

 

He’s relieved that the teen wasn’t like the rest of the intern applicants— albeit being younger, and looking past his energetic, childlike rambling, something about him is more mature in a way Tony can’t exactly pinpoint. Something about him he didn’t see in the others. Peter is a modest, adorable, and excitable ball of knowledge and bashful smiles. 

 

Yeah, Tony will definitely have to praise FRIDAY later on for telling him about Peter in the first place. 

 

What set him apart from the others is while their goals focused on trying to impress Tony and get in his good books, Peter focused on the important task at hand. He’s not doing something just to get someone’s approval, nor gain the upper hand or expect something back in return, he did it simply because he _could_ , and because he _wanted_ to. 

 

He’s a good kid. 

 

The pair wander into the messy but well loved lab, and Peter catches sight of a man standing in the middle of the disarray, looking to be deep in thought. 

 

Tony’s eyes sparkle upon seeing him, and he immediately flings himself into the man’s arms. 

 

“Platypus! It feels like I haven’t seen you in _agesss_.” Tony whines, pulling his best friend into a bone-crushing hug. The colonel chuckles heartily, wrapping his arms around Tony with the same amount of enthusiasm. 

 

“I know, I’m sorry about that. I’ve been caught up with some military work. Everything got a bit… chaotic with the news of Ross in US custody being released to the public, but it’s calmed down now that they’ve gotten some officials to clean up the last of his mess.” Rhodey sighs in relief, happy that the past few months of pressure has finally been lifted off his shoulders. 

 

“Ugh, tell me about it. No one liked that bastard, I’m glad he’s over with now. How’s the leg brace doing for ya, honey bun?” 

 

“Perfect as always, Tones. You know that.” Rhodey smiles, before his eyes land on Peter. “Oh? And who might this be?”

 

“Ah, now _that_ is a good question. Mr. Parker here is my personal intern.” Tony says slowly, giving Rhodey a knowing gaze which went undetected by the spiderling. 

 

Rhodey’s eyes widen in realisation and he scoffs lightly, patting Tony’s shoulder. “And here I thought you’d never find one, not with your pickiness.” He mutters under his breath, unaware that Peter could hear him. “We’re talking about this later.” 

 

Tony hums in acknowledgement, and Peter is standing there, more confused than ever. But he doesn’t dwell on it any longer as the man is walking up to him and holding out his hand. 

 

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parker. I’m James Rhodes, but feel free to call me Jim or Rhodey.”

 

Peter shakes his hand, hoping his palm isn’t sweaty. “I-it’s really nice to meet you too, Mr. Colonel Sir. Oh, and you c-can call me Peter.” 

 

Jim smiles, satisfied. “Well then, Peter.”

 

* * *

 

After doing some building in the lab with Tony, the man got up and told Peter that it was breaktime and that he should ‘mingle’ with the other interns while he grumbled about needing another cup of coffee. The teen finds himself wandering the R&D labs, hoping to see a familiar face… 

 

“Oh my gosh, Peter! Is that you? Come here!” Kayla says loudly, standing next to Ethan and Rosie. He quickly makes his way over to the trio. 

 

“Hm? Oh, I know you… you’re from that field trip the other day. Peter, right?” Rosie asks, smiling friendly. 

 

“Yeah, P-Peter. Peter Parker.” Peter says, recognising Rosie as the person who gave the tour on Friday. 

 

They settled down in a comfy seating area in a quiet corner. Ethan hands him a drink, sitting next to him. “Pete, remember the guy that was being an asshole to you? Hehe, he got fired that day. Totally deserved it.” 

 

“Yeah, I heard that too!” Rosie exclaims, “Although I thought it was a rumour. I didn’t know he really got fired. But it’s about damn time.” 

 

“Everyone hated him, so I’m really not surprised. By the way, why are you here, Peter? Not that I don’t want you to be here or anything,” Kayla quickly clarifies, “I’m just wondering how you’re here.”

 

“Oh, um, Mr. Stark just told me to go and… mingle.” Peter replies shyly, scratching his neck. 

 

“Ah! Yeah, Tony hired you, didn’t he? If he ever gives you a hard time, you know where to find us.” Ethan supplies jokingly. 

 

They talked some more and laughed, and the nervousness that Peter felt earlier dissipated. He didn’t have many friends outside of school— so to have some where he works is quite nice. 

 

“I think I should probably get going now, guys,” he looks at the time, realising that half an hour has passed. He isn’t sure if Mr. Stark might be waiting for him or not. 

 

Rosie pouts, crossing her arms. “Awww no. It’s much more fun having you here, it’s so boring with these two.” 

 

“I… am going to ignore you said that.” Kayla says, glaring at her friend. “But still, I guess Rosie’s right about it being more fun with you. We need to steal you from Tony’s lab sometime.” she smirks and gives a little wink. 

 

They say their goodbyes and Peter leaves the floor, going back to the top of the tower. He walks down a long hallway, about to reach what he remembers being the common room, until voices catch his attention. 

 

“So what are we gonna do about Spider-Man?” Clint asks to no one in particular, hopping onto a chair. 

 

Peter freezes. 

 

“Well, we need to get into contact with him, firstly. Though, we have to watch how we go about it. Think he’d be intimidated by all of the Avengers showing up on his doorstep?” Tony muses. 

 

...What?

 

“Oh, I’d _love_ to see his reaction underneath that red mask of his,” Sam laughs, but then a pondering look appears on his face. “There’s too many vigilantes nowadays. There’s Spidey, that horned devil guy from Hell’s Kitchen that people are actually convinced is Satan, and that immortal mercenary— isn’t there also a group called the Defenders? Jeez, they’re popping up left and right.”

 

Clint huffs, “Ain’t that the truth.” 

 

“Ha, heard that Fury has had trouble reining them in. After all, he isn’t that supportive of them, considering how vigilantism is illegal and whatnot.”

 

“And yet _he_ wants to make Spider-Man, a vigilante, an _Avenger._ ” Steve mutters quietly.

 

Peter couldn’t quite make out what Steve said just then, but it probably isn’t something good. Are all of the Avengers… after him? But why? This is bad. Veryyy bad. His throat is dry, and he struggles to swallow. 

 

Too lost in his thoughts, Peter doesn’t notice someone standing behind him until he hears breathing next to his ear.

 

…

 

Oops…

 

He turns around slowly and awkwardly, and Natasha is standing there with her eyes narrowed in suspicion, staring straight at him. 

 


End file.
